River dredging, riverbank protection and maintenance of drainage infrastructures to be carried out soon - Reddy

Major works on the river dredging, riverbank protection and maintenance of drainage infrastructures will soon be carried out in the 2019/2020 financial year by the Ministry of Waterways and Environment.

In response to an oral question in Parliament, Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, Waterways and Environment Dr. Mahendra Reddy says their engineers have  completed survey and detail designs for approximately 10 other river bank protections works, some of which will be implemented in 2019/2020 fiscal year.

He says major river dredging and drainage improvement work on Waidina, Wainibuabua, Weilagi, Penang, Deuba and Nawaka River are also planned for the current financial year.

The Minister also says that major river bank protection projects which  have been completed in the 2018/2019 financial year have benefitted more than 11,700 Fijians while few other projects are in process which is expected to be completed between November to December 2019.

He says that the Drainage and Flood Protection Programme allows for the provision of adequate infrastructure to mitigate the impacts of the flooding which  includes riverbank protection on our vulnerable communities.

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