RESIDENTS living near the Wailea St bridge in Vatuwaqa, Suva, have rejected claims they were responsible for the large amount of rubbish trapped by a trashboom in the creek.
The rubbish has accumulated around the Trashboom Pacific installation, creating foul odours and raising health concerns for nearby residents.
The issue came into focus after The Fiji Times posted a video on Thursday showing the trash boom heavily laden with rubbish.
Minister for Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya subsequently called on residents of Wailea and surrounding communities to take responsibility for keeping the area clean.
“Stop dumping rubbish into the river in the first place,” she said.
“The trashboom did not create this rubbish. You did. But 23-year-old Wailea resident Jioji Nasaya, who lives near the trashboom, disputed the claim.
“Why would we throw rubbish into the creek when we know it will be trapped by the trashboom and ultimately affect us,” Mr Nasaya said.
He said rubbish was coming from upstream, flowing from Samabula through Nabua and eventually into Wailea.
Resident Tomasi Tuabua, 60, said much of the rubbish was washed downstream during heavy rain.
“The rubbish problem in this creek has existed for years. It is good to see the trashboom helping to prevent the waste from flowing into the sea. It just needs to be cleaned.”
Meanwhile, Trashboom Pacific director Wayne Fuakilau said the rubbish could not be safely removed because a Water Authority of Fiji sewer line was discharging directly around the boom.
Questions sent to WAF about the sewer leak remained unanswered.
