Peceli Naviticoko 
Residents of Vatudova, just outside Labasa, are calling on the government to urgently resolve a 50-year-long water crisis that continues to affect daily life for the growing community.
Villager Masilina Ratawa told FBC News that families in the area still rely on aging boreholes and nearby creeks for their water needs, with no access to a consistent piped supply.
“For the past 50 years, water has been an issue here in Vatudova. We used to rely on the well, but that dried up. Now we use a borehole, but during the dry season, we depend on rainwater or carted water. Right now, there’s no water at all.”
Ratawa says repeated requests over the years have gone unanswered, with water carting offered as a temporary fix. The Health Ministry has provided a water filtration system to help prevent waterborne diseases, but access remains unreliable.
Another villager, Setareki Gata, says the situation becomes especially difficult during the cane crushing season, with their small community reservoir drying up by midday.
“We end up bathing in the river nearby, even though it’s muddy with leaves and all. But we don’t have a choice.”
Meanwhile, the government has announced significant water infrastructure upgrades in the new budget.
This includes a planned 19-kilometer water main extension running from Wailevu to Tabia and along the Cross-Island Road, which also features a new water pump station and the construction of a 2-megaliter reservoir at Vatudova, all aimed at boosting water supply to these areas.
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