National Federation Party Leader, Professor Biman Prasad says the water supply situation is now unbearable and it is preposterous for the Water Authority of Fiji to ask consumers to store water for three days when we are dealing with the working class.
Professor Prasad asks what does WAF expect.
He asks if people who work to earn a living to at least afford basic necessities have to run back home to fill water.
The NFP Leader says people don’t have the time for this, and yet the WAF Chairman, who is largely living in Australia, lectures us about science and why there are water cuts.
Professor Prasad says this is sickening and nobody understands the warped reasons of the WAF Chairman who is behaving more like a failed politician than someone tasked with overseeing the fulfilment of the fundamental right of the people to have access to clean and safe water at all times.
He further says wastage of taxpayers’ funds allocated to the Water Authority for the last decade is the major cause for the state of decay of key infrastructure causing serious disruptions to constant supply of clean and safe water.
Professor Prasad says this is proven by the fact that water mains to the Waimanu Pumping Station have broken twice in the last fortnight leaving several thousands of people without water yet again.
He says hundreds of millions of dollars were given to WAF over the last decade but we continue to have broken mains, pump failures and all sorts of problems.
The NFP Leader says long-serving experienced workers with hands-on experience in maintenance and expertise in resolving issues quickly have lost their jobs. He claims more workers are being eyed to be given the boot because they supposedly lack qualifications despite being vastly experienced.
We have sought comments from WAF Chairman, Bhavesh Patel. He is yet to comment.
