Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday opened the Drasa Double Barrel Floodgate at Drasa Seawall in Lautoka.
Bainimarama says the project is part of the Government’s commitment to Fiji’s Green Growth Framework, which outlines the strategy to be resilient to climate change and disasters.
He says the Government is conducting a thorough analysis of how to best allocate our resources so we can limit the damage climate change can cause.
The project includes 1,250 metres of sea wall and 2,940 metres of internal drains, which have been completed at a cost of $81,747.
These systems will protect land from the salt water that can flood into low-lying areas and will also put an end to the kind of flooding the West experienced during severe storms, such as occurred during Cyclone Evan.
The floodgate has a catchment area of nearly 300 hectares and will protect the labours and lands of 68 farmers.
The area produced nearly 7,600 tonnes of sugar cane last year, and more than 2,700 tonnes came from the Drasa 1 drainage scheme area.
