More than fifty tonnes of rubbish were collected by the Rewa and the Naitasiri provinces along the Rewa River yesterday.

The clean-up campaign is linked to the Rewa Festival currently underway at Syria Park, Nausori.

While officiating at the opening of the festival this morning, Rewa paramount chief Ro Teimumu Kepa said the initiative is in line with the COP23 Presidency.

”Where they have dumped the rubbish from the river, so that this can be highlighted in the next few days, what types of rubbish are being dumped into the river, what kind of destruction it will have to all the living organisms in the river and mankind and for us to be aware that we need to change our life style now if we want to improve the environment.”

Kepa adds the initiative is also an effort to protect one of the world’s largest hammerhead shark nurseries.

This initiative by the nine districts in Rewa will soon include the Tailevu province and will be done annually.

Meanwhile, the three days festival will end on Saturday.