Multi-Ethnic funds water projects in the West

Submitted by TemoL on Tue, 07/09/2010 - 11:42am

Funding by the Multi-Ethnic Affairs department for the construction of two boreholes will give some 30 families from Rakiraki and Tavua better access to drinking water.

The boreholes in Coci, Rakiraki and Lausa in Tavua were handed over by the MEA director, Sushil Sudhakar last Thursday.

Mr Sudhakar, said these projects were part of the Department’s role to ensure members of the community have access to clean and safe drinking water.

“Through Multi-Ethnic Affairs department initiatives like these rural people are provided with safe drinking water to improve their living conditions,” Mr Sudhakar said.

The water project in Coci cost $14,000, of which $10,000 came from the MEA.

The MEA also supplied the community with a 5000-litre tank which will channel water to four families.

Sixty four year-old farmer, Mr Ram Sami Goundar, said they have been facing water problems for the past few years and the situation had worsened during the dry spell currently experienced in most parts of the Western Division.

“I am thankful to the Multi-Ethnic Affairs for assisting us with this water project,” said Goundar.

“Previously we faced a lot of difficulties. For so many years we had to cart water home from a near-by well but now we are glad this problem has been solved.

“Most families in this area are vegetable farmers and dry conditions for the past five months made it difficult to do farming as well.

“Now farmers can use water from this borehole to increase vegetable production,” he said.

The MEA department-funded project at Lausa in Tavua will benefit more than 50 people.

The advisory councilor of the area, Mr Pramod Kumar, said this assistance was very timely because they were experiencing drought conditions and people had to source water from streams and wells.

“For the past 45 years, people struggled to provide their families with clean water. In future this water project will cater for 25 more families in Lausa. The MEA has also funded a 10,000-litre water tank,” Mr. Kumar said.

The MEA contributed $15,000 towards the Lausa water project which cost more than $20,000.

Similar assistance has been promised other areas of the Western Division.

So far this year the MEA has spent more than $300,000 to assist needy communities in the Western Division with water projects, rural electrification, road upgrade and other essential community projects.