Students from water-affected areas at the outskirts of Labasa Town have had to travel to school with an extra bag of empty bottles to fill with drinking water from the market.
The residents of Vatudova and Tabia, who have been without proper water supply for more than 60 years, have had to ask their children attending schools in town to fill water from public taps in the market.
Mereseini Lewalui, a mother of children who attend school in town, said at least three times a week they fill a bag with empty bottles for their children to fill with water from the market to take to school.
“This water is for drinking so we have no choice, but to fill bottles because the truck only comes to deliver water when we call the Water Authority of Fiji,” Ms Lewalui said.
“Everyone in Tabia and Vatudova knows that the water issues were to have ended about six years ago with the construction of the reservoir in Rara subdivision, but nothing has changed.”
Another Tabia parent Lusiana Dimate said they had no choice, but to involve their children.
“The borehole is unreliable, and we can’t drink from the creek so we need to ask our children to get water from town.”
WAF said the project was part of improvement works to maintain a consistent water supply to Fijians in Labasa.
WAF, on the reservoir in Rara subdivision, said this project was part of improvement works to maintain a consistent water supply to Fijians in Labasa.
