Plans are in place to plant vetiver grass in most parts of the Sigatoka river banks to reduce the risk of erosion.

Minister for Waterways Dr. Mahendra Reddy says around 10 metres of arable lands is lost every year as river banks are not well secured.

Dr. Reddy has also opposed a tourism project that was proposed to be developed on the river.

“We can’t use that in the river. We need to use river cats. Because speed boats are generating vibration which also contributing to river bank erosion apart from the heavy volume of water”.

The Minister highlighted that curbing erosion is a key priority for Sigatoka’s main waterway.

“But we going to come and do Vativa, river bank protection. There is a massive programme funded by the government of Korea on nature base solutions. So we will be coming and do that work here to”.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has started working on replicating the vetiver grass project in other parts of Fiji.