28 Dec 2014

Raw waste discharge plagues Fiji officials

1:12 pm on 28 December 2014

Fiji's Minister for National Disaster Management, Inia Seruiratu, has met with stakeholders as part of efforts to stop raw waste being discharged into waterways due to a broken sewer line in Nabua.

Fiji Live online says the sewer line was not repaired till 16 days later after megalitres of untreated waste had been flushed into the Samabula River and the Laucala Basin.

DISMAC director Manasa Tagicakibau said while a national disaster declaration was averted, the damage to the environment remained, hence plans to seek the Fijian cabinet's approval in declaring an environmental disaster in affected areas.

Mr Tagicakibau says draft cabinet papers will be submitted to the cabinet by the Minister for Environment.

It is hoped a declaration would be made soon to empower enforcement officers to stop people who continue swimming or fishing along the Suva Foreshore despite being advised not to.