The Ministry of Waterways and Environment together with the Yachiyo Engineering Company from Japan has signed a contract agreement for an additional survey for Project A for the Nadi River Flood Control Project.
While officiating at the signing ceremony, Acting Prime Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says that in 2014, the Japanese government provided technical assistance to conduct the feasibility study for the Nadi River Basin area.
He says that the study was then completed in 2016.
Sayed-Khaiyum says that the study proposed several flood control measures that will help mitigate the effect of future floods on the Nadi River Basin area.
He says the study also identified 6 major components that needed to be implemented in order to reduce future flooding risks.
Sayed-Khaiyum says that Fiji is working with JICA and ADB to implement the project.
He says the project will be implemented in 3 phases and divided in 3 major components.
Sayed-Khaiyum says that Project A is the Nadi Town surrounding dikes and inland drainage, Project B is the widening of the river, the construction of two bridges and two retention ponds and Project C is the water shed management upstream.
He says that the implementation plan has been done by JICA and ADB and the Government of Japan is now preparing Project A as a Japanese grant aid project by separating the projects which is highest in priority and effective in reducing damage by flood prone areas amongst the several projects prioritized with the JICA Master Plan.
Sayed-Khaiyum says that with projects B and C, the Japanese Government has pursued in coordination with other donors and financial institutions including the European Investment Bank and Asian Development Bank and preliminary informal consultations have started.
The Acting Prime Minister says the agreement was about consolidating and backing up the initial study that was carried out and the work to be carried out by the company.
Sayed-Khaiyum says that government is keen for the physical work to start in 2020.
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