SOME coastal villagers in northern Macuata are fearing for their lives as the erosion of the shoreline becomes evident. The villagers claimed the shoreline was eroding at Salevukoso, Druadrua and Namuka as a result of rising sea levels. Speaking on behalf of the villagers, district representative Uraia Viaturaga said the eroding shorelines had been predicted to cause a lot of problems for the villagers in future. Feeling the full impact of these natural occurrences are the houses built close to the beaches, he said. The staff of the dredging unit recently visited the villages to gauge the seriousness of the eroding shorelines and since then, they havent returned with anything concrete. We have also approached numerous government departments seeking assistance but it seems our plight is falling on deaf ears. Mr Viaturaga claimed the rate of erosion had doubled in the past two years with a lot of coconut trees and plants falling to the ground. The eroded shorelines will also affect the surrounding mangroves and make the villages more vulnerable to natural disasters. We are humbly requesting the authorities to seriously look into the matter. In response, Acting Commissioner Northern Alipate Bolalevu said they would first visit the villages to gauge the situation on the ground. He said the matter should be raised at district meetings. fijitimes/story.aspx?id=262346
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 01:10:12 +0000
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