Minister for Public Works and Transport, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, announced that emergency teams are responding swiftly to the damage inflicted on the Nailawa bridge in Dawasamu, Tailevu, following heavy flash floods on Saturday night. Tuisawau confirmed that teams are being mobilized to implement temporary measures to ensure villagers can access the bridge as soon as possible.
The bridge serves as the only connection for several villages, including Delakado, Natadradave, Vorovoro, and Naveilolo, to the main highway. Tuisawau acknowledged the outdated infrastructure, stating that upgrades to the Nailawa bridge were already in the procurement process. He assured residents that while these upgrades are underway, immediate temporary solutions are being prioritized.
During a recent visit by reporters to the area, villagers expressed their frustration over the bridge’s poor condition, highlighting that it has been submerged and rendered impassable during heavy rains for years without receiving a permanent solution. Currently, residents are forced to wade through waist-deep waters to transport groceries, school supplies, and other essential items. This situation poses considerable danger, particularly for parents assisting their children across the strong currents to reach transportation on the other side.
Local resident Filimoni Masivulo articulated the community’s longstanding struggles, sharing, “We have begged for this bridge to be fixed for so many years, and every time there is heavy rain, it gets covered again. Yesterday we had to carry our shopping and the children through the water; it is dangerous, but we do not have any other way to reach the highway.”
Despite the challenges, the community remains hopeful that temporary repairs will soon commence, offering a sense of urgency alongside optimism for a more permanent resolution in the future.