THE current water crisis affecting some villages cannot be solved overnight, according to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
He made the remark when asked about government efforts to address water shortages in the North and other parts of the country.
The crisis has been severe on Yanuca Island in Serua, forcing the closure of the school since last Friday, leaving 59 students without classes.
Mr Rabuka said they would continue to conduct studies of underground aquifers to find permanent solutions to the water crisis.
“We need to assess existing boreholes, study underground aquifers, and find new water sources where current supplies have run dry,” he said.
He said clean water was a basic human need and part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“We’ll keep drilling, keep searching until we find solutions.”
Yanuca villager Rusiate Balenagasau said there was a need for the authorities to find a lasting solution for the village and school.
“Without water, students cannot attend school safely.
“Teachers have returned to the main island.”
Mr Balenagasau said the village depended entirely on rainwater for drinking, cooking and washing.
“When there’s no rain, we face real hardship. Now that the school has no water, it’s even harder.
“Our children can’t go to class, teachers can’t stay in the village, and education comes to a standstill.”
He said children should not have to stay at home because of water problems in school.
Rabuka: Not all decisions will please everyone
PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says not every decision made by the Government will be popular.
Mr Rabuka made the comment after being asked about the sudden stepping down of two deputy prime ministers and growing calls to abolish FICAC.
He said the process to abolish FICAC would require careful adherence to the law.
“Abolishing FICAC is something that the legislature will have to decide because it is mentioned in the Constitution,” he said.
While he did not confirm any immediate plans to abolish the commission, he said it was part of The People’s Alliance manifesto.
“We will have to look at the constitutional impact and legislative accountability on the Government.”
While addressing the backlash the Government was receiving after two deputy prime ministers were charged by FICAC and stepped down, he said the Government could not satisfy everyone.
“People may not like what we say today or tomorrow, but it is all part of governing.”
He stressed that good governance often required making tough and sometimes unpopular decisions.
