Villagers of Daku on Kia Island in Macuata, Vanua Levu, will soon be conveniently accessing water right in their homes as soon as drilling works for a new borehole project is completed.
Works have now begun and villagers eagerly anticipate a new beginning to their everyday lives.
Daku Village elder Viliame Rokogata, 67, said this was a new dawn for the island of Kia.
He said islanders were mostly dependent on rainwater and water cartage to the island by a Government barge, which they had to request.
In a Government statement, Mr Rokogata said for decades, their forefathers had survived on this island, they used to fetch for water from a spring that was on a cliff on a part of the island.
He said he was emotional and in tears when the machine started its drilling because he knew their struggle of looking for water over the years would soon end.
There are three villages on Kia Island Ligau, Daku and Yaro – with a population of close to 200 people.
According to the Government, a similar borehole drilling at Yaro Village had been successfully completed with depths of 25m and a discharge rate of 0.8litres a second.
Yaro Village headman Kemueli Lautiki said the water problem was a hardship they had encountered over the years.
“A borehole project started way back in 2000 but it didn’t work out well. We tried every possible way to bring water to our homes, unfortunately, it didn’t materialise. This new borehole project in Yaro has certainly given us a relief. We’re able to access water in our homes,” Mr Lautiki was quoted as saying in the statement.
Kia Island is listed under the Government’s Small Islands drilling program because of a continuous dry spell on the island.
