ACTING Commissioner of the Fiji Corrections Service Auta Moceisuva has clarified that recent flooding concerns raised by residents of Naqiliso near the cemetery development site in Nasinu were not caused by construction works at the site.
Mr Moceisuva said the corrections service had previously informed the community about plans to develop the land, including putting up signboards and engaging with residents.
He said the agency had followed all required legal and environmental procedures before commencing the project.
“We are a government department,” Mr Moceisuva said.
“We must comply with the law. It’s not that we wake up one day and start digging the place up.”
He said the Government had allocated $2.5 million for the expansion of the Nasinu cemetery, with development work in progress.
Residents from the nearby informal settlement raised concerns that excavation activities at the site contributed to flooding in the area.
However, Mr Moceisuva said investigations found that the issue was linked to drainage problems rather than the cemetery development.
He explained that the settlement sits at a low point where rainwater naturally collects and that rubbish had blocked an existing culvert that previously channelled water away.
He said stakeholders, including the Ministry of Lands and the Fiji Roads Authority, had since assessed the site.
Mr Moceisuva said a larger culvert was installed to improve drainage, allowing water to flow more freely and reducing the risk of flooding.
