From a village of 50 homes, besieged Vuniniudrovu Village in Naitasiri has been reduced to a community of only 13 dwellings.
Villagers have been at the mercy of the Waimanu River for 30 years, where ruination of the community happens whenever the river bursts its banks.
Strong currents have destabilised the foundation of homes and those who remain say the village symbolises the destruction and ruin nature can wreak on a community.
Riverbank soil erosion from opposing sides of the village boundaries has caused families to dismantle their homes and flee the area.
Village headman Sakeo Duituraga said initially there were four rows of homes.
Today only two rows remain.
He said villagers have made numerous requests for assistance with relocation to no avail.
So for 30 years, the villagers of Vuniniudrovu have been at the mercy of the Waimanu River.
Every time the famous river bursts its banks during heavy downpour, it washes away both sides of the village green.
Villagers claim that despite complaints to authorities, their plight remains unaddressed.
Land which once housed two additional rows have succumbed to floods.
Mr Duituraga claimed they had made numerous requests for relocation and for the construction of a road from Qiolevu to their village.
He said both pleas were raised with five commissioners in the Central Division but fallen on deaf ears.
“This is the 12th year of my role as the turaga ni koro and I have already sent two letters to the provincial office of Naitasiri but we have heard nothing so far from them,” Mr Duituraga said.
“I also sent a letter to the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Waterways. I am still waiting for their reply,” he claimed.
Mr Duituraga said a group of government officials visited their village last year and advised them to stop building houses because the village boundary was thinning out and slipping into the river.
At one time, the main village had 50 houses but only 13 are now left.
Families have opted to move to higher ground.
He said there were four rows of houses in the village before, but today only two remained.
“The other two rows of houses are in the river now and people are moving to their mataqali land to build their home when they dismantle their houses from the village.
“We need assistance in relocation.”
Mr Duituraga said the village’s 10 mataqali had already collected $10,000 to help them construct a road from Qiolevu.
Questions sent on July 2 to Minister for Infrastructure Jone Usamate and phone calls to the Minister for Waterways Dr Mahendra Reddy remained unanswered.
