National Federation Party Leader, Professor Biman Prasad says the water supply situation is now unbearable and it is preposterous for the Water Authority of Fiji to ask consumers to store water for three days when we are dealing with the working class.
Professor Prasad asks what does WAF expect.
He asks if people who work to earn a living to at least afford basic necessities have to run back home to fill water.
The NFP Leader says people don’t have the time for this, and yet the WAF Chairman, who is largely living in Australia, lectures us about science and why there are water cuts.
Professor Prasad says this is sickening and nobody understands the warped reasons of the WAF Chairman who is behaving more like a failed politician than someone tasked with overseeing the fulfilment of the fundamental right of the people to have access to clean and safe water at all times.
He further says wastage of taxpayers’ funds allocated to the Water Authority for the last decade is the major cause for the state of decay of key infrastructure causing serious disruptions to constant supply of clean and safe water.
Professor Prasad says this is proven by the fact that water mains to the Waimanu Pumping Station have broken twice in the last fortnight leaving several thousands of people without water yet again.
He says hundreds of millions of dollars were given to WAF over the last decade but we continue to have broken mains, pump failures and all sorts of problems.
The NFP Leader says long-serving experienced workers with hands-on experience in maintenance and expertise in resolving issues quickly have lost their jobs. He claims more workers are being eyed to be given the boot because they supposedly lack qualifications despite being vastly experienced.
We have sought comments from WAF Chairman, Bhavesh Patel. He is yet to comment.
The Chairman of the Water Authority of Fiji Board Bhavesh Patel says contrary to the misleading statements by the Leader of National Federation Party Biman Prasad, WAF is now more transparent than ever before and the figures Prasad cited are mostly incorrect, however, Prasad says despite all the allocation in the budget, Water Authority of Fiji has not been able to solve water problems.
Patel says all accounts of spending are publicly available for anyone to view through their annual reports and in the Auditor General's report as their accounts have been audited until the 2017 Financial Year.
He adds that every cent of spending is accounted for and every contractor they engage is now processed through the tender-link system and strict protocols are followed when tenders are received, evaluated and awarded.
WAF's Chairman says the series of numbers put out by the NFP are incorrect.
Patel highlighted that from 2010 to the 2019/2020 financial year, they have connected more Fijian villages and settlements to water than at any time before and they have invested in 611 projects in the rural areas and 949 in urban areas.
He says in the rural region, they have spent $83,912,550 since 2010, investing in 611 projects.
Patel adds that from 2010 to 2021, $1,096,473,886 has been spent for urban infrastructure, with 949 projects benefitting more than 659,824 residents so far.
Meanwhile, Professor Prasad is questioning how the Water Authority of Fiji has used over $1.6 billion allocated for capital investment in the last 10 budgets since 2012.
Prasad says he is asking these questions after WAF admitted it needs $3 billion to improve infrastructure.
He adds in the last ten budgets since 2012, WAF was allocated almost $2.3 billion.
Professor Prasad says out of this, more than $1.66 billion has been capital grants or for investment into infrastructure improvement.
He is asking if the Government fully honoured its budgetary commitment.
The NFP Leader says the WAF Chairman should look at how WAF is managing the water crises and not get into politics of why they are so incompetent in dealing with the issue.
WAF says they recruit qualified people such as engineers to maintain and upgrade their system however Prof Prasad says qualifications are important but experience is vital
The Chairman of the Water Authority of Fiji, Bhavesh Patel also highlighted that they recruit qualified people such as engineers to maintain and upgrade their system, however, NFP Leader Professor Biman Prasad says qualifications are important but the experience of personnel is vital to ensure a constant flow of water and to overcome challenges caused by deteriorating infrastructure.
Patel says the qualification requirements for their personnel have always existed and have not just been introduced as Prasad is falsely claiming.
He adds they are talking about treating water that people consume and it can be a life or death situation if it is handled by unqualified people.
Patel also questions if Prasad is suggesting that WAF start employing people without any qualifications and let them play with people’s lives.
He says water treatment requires qualified specialists.
WAF's Chairman highlighted that on one hand, Prasad is saying WAF needs to do more and on the other hand, he is suggesting they do not need qualified people to maintain their systems.
Meanwhile, the NFP Leader had earlier stated that experience is needed in an organisation like the Water Authority of Fiji which is vested with the important responsibility of providing clean and safe water 24/7.
Prasad had questioned whether it is true that WAF is planning to get rid of more workers by making it compulsory that only those with qualifications will have their contracts renewed.
Professor Prasad says WAF is saying only those with qualifications will have their contracts renewed.
He is questioning why WAF is allegedly ignoring the expertise of workers with 20 to 30 years of hands-on experience.
Professor Prasad says the unkind and uncaring WAF Board, totally devoid of compassion, care and concern for both its customers and workers, seems only interested in ticking the boxes to show it is conforming to the heartless Government’s vision.
WAF says turbidity is beyond their control as human activity is the main factor however NFP Leader says whenever it rains, turbidity is being blamed for water cuts
The Water Authority of Fiji says turbidity in raw water is beyond their control and the best way to mitigate this is for all involved to work together and educate farmers living upriver on soil management however NFP Leader Professor Biman Prasad says whenever it rains, turbidity is being blamed for water cuts.
WAF Chair, Bhavesh Patel says Prasad has asked why this was not an issue in the past.
He says Prasad should be able to figure this out as he constantly claims to be an expert and touts his qualifications as a professor.
Patel says multiple villages and communities that are located upstream of the intake and the residents are involved in farming activities, either for their main source or supplementary source of livelihood.
He adds the supply capacity is being exceeded by current demands which places great stress on their nfrastructure and this is why the Viria project is being constructed.
Patel says it is not true that water carting trucks only respond to the list that truck drivers have provided and they provide water for the entire area during such times and do not pick and choose households.
Meanwhile, Professor Prasad is also asking if WAF has changed its filters regularly to minimise or prevent turbidity.
He says they have also established that a particular water carting truck only responds to the list that they are provided with.
Prasad adds this means that if a consumer is unable to contact WAF, he or she will not receive water and has to depend on the generosity of the truck driver to get an emergency supply.
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