Kreetika Kumar 
Nabavatu Village [File Photo]
The relocation of Nabavatu Village in Macuata Province is well underway, with significant progress reported in civil works and housing construction.
The community, displaced since Tropical Cyclone Ana in 2021, has been living in temporary shelters and will soon move to a safer permanent site.
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development, Sakiasi Ditoka, updated Parliament on the four-phase relocation project.
Ditoka says phase one, which includes civil and drainage works, road, and water access, is nearly complete, with road access now 80 percent done and scheduled for completion by this month.
“A company called Engineering Express Limited was awarded a tender for the construction of 37 houses. Construction work began at the end of last month following contract signing and the other necessary project management and administration works that needed to be set up. These are to be completed by the end of this year.”
Ditoka adds that two landowning units have consented to issue free logging licenses to support timber procurement for building materials.
The relocation site will also include an evacuation centre and a church building.
The government is also covering water bills at the community’s temporary location, amounting to $7,000 annually.
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