[Source: Fiji Government/ Facebook]

Residents of Korotari outside Labasa Town will no longer have to source water from a nearby river, following the successful commissioning of their water project.

Around 650 Fijians in the area now have access to clean drinking water in their homes.

The project was commissioned by Assistant Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Jovesa Vocea yesterday.

62-year-old Vishwa Chand who was responsible to oversee the water project says they faced a number of difficulties with water supply.

“Before during drought we used to have very low supply of water. And even in the rainy weather the catchment used to get blocked. By the help of this government grant we upgraded the catchment that was in 2019, so we had constant water supply.”

However, in 2020, Chand says the water pipe was damaged again during Tropical Cyclone Yasa.

He says since then they relied on rainwater or fetched water from the nearby river.

The project was made possible through a $10,500 grant by the Government, for the repair of the water reticulation system.