PEOPLE continue to use picnic spots around the Suva harbour despite strict warning notices posted around the Suva area regarding the contamination of surrounding rivers and sea from the sewage spillage.
Police around Suva Point and My Suva Picnic Park had to inform people not to swim in the water or to use it for other purposes.
National Disaster Management director Manasa Tagicakibau said the taskforce had erected notices along the foreshore and urged the general public to take heed of the warning signs and not to use the sea until further notice.
“It is a serious concern and it can have a massive impact on the general public if it’s not followed,” Mr Tagicakibau said.
“When this happened, the Commissioner Central had set up a taskforce that consisted of 12 government agencies to look into the matter.
“The agencies include officials from the Ministry of Health, Department of Environment, Water Authority of Fiji, Fiji Police Force, Department of Fisheries and Forestry, Fiji Navy and the Nasinu and Suva municipal councils.
“This issue can have a long-term effect on the people, so the taskforce has been set up to carry out awareness to the public.
“The Health Ministry has been working tirelessly by moving into the affected areas and conducting workshops and meetings to talk about the impacts of the spillage and people’s usage of the water system.”
