REGULAR samples of water from the Navua River have been taken, and will continue to be so, to test the bacterial levels present in the water.
Fiji’s Health and Medical Services Minister Rosy Akbar said the fact that they had not seen any evidence of fish dying in the river would be proven once they received analysis of the tests.
She said this was work in progress and all the answers would be provided in the multi stakeholder meeting planned for Thursday May 24.
Ms Akbar made this explanation in Parliament last week while responding to questions raised relating to concerns of claims that there leakage of raw sewage of the new Navua hospital into a creek nearby.
While she said there was no raw sewage leakage or raw discharge in the Namelimeli creek from the hospital, she said, however, that there was a minor leak of filtered water that had occurred as the volume of wastewater was in excess of the capacity of the designed soak pits to absorb.
Ms Akbar said there was nothing to hide.
She said from the beginning, they had been in consultation with the villages and they had appointed a representative who was their voice.
“One of the major concerns that he raised when he met up with me, madam Speaker, was that they actually wanted to know what chemical is in there.
“So we have reassured them that the only chemical that is added in the filtration tank is chlorine or janola that is known there, the disinfectant that is used in the hospital for cleaning purposes. Other than that, there is nothing else disposed within the sewer system.”
