The system is breaking down

The recent floods have spewed out more than just excessive water, mud, wreckage and possible health hazards to those affected.

The illegal and treasonous Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum spews out the usual face-saving venom in a frantic attempt to save the tourism's currently tarnished reputation.

Back at the ranch however, the chief usurper Bainimarama cannot deny that the systems under his leadership are in tatters.

Reports are now surfacing that a dam in Vaturu, Nadi "may have contributed" to the speed of flood-water currents:

Dam may have contributed: WAF

Samisoni Nabilivalu

Tuesday, April 03, 2012

THE Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) says the water flowing out of the Vaturu Dam spillway "could have contributed" to the speed of floodwater currents experienced by Nadi residents on Friday morning. 

WAF acting chief executive officer Opetaia Ravai said WAF could not confirm whether or not the dam's spillway had increased the speed of floodwater currents that morning. 

"Believe me, it would have been a much bigger disaster if the dam was briefly opened or burst as people have been saying. That would have a disaster on an even larger scale," Mr Ravai said.

"Either way, there was an unusually large amount of rainfall the previous night going into that Friday morning. At least the dam contained most of the water," he said.

Mr Ravai made the statement in response to a story published in this newspaper that the Vaturu dam overflow contributed to the speed of floodwater currents experienced by Nadi residents on Friday morning. 

Vaturu dam, he explained, was the main water source for the Nadi and Lautoka water supply and because of the unusually high amount of rainfall experienced that week, the dam was nearly overflowing. 

He said the spillway was a necessary component of any dam and relieved pressure through its controlled drainage of water from dams close to overflowing.

This is a most revealing admission on the part of the Water Authority, given that only 2 months earlier during the January floods, the Water Authority vehemently downplayed any such link to the dam's overflows.

Dam overflows 

Felix Chaudhary 

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

THE Water Authority of Fiji said Nadi residents should not be concerned about overflow from the Vaturu dam into waterways linked to the Nadi River. 

WAF spokesman Maika Nagalu informed The Fiji Times that the Vaturu dam has been overflowing for a while and has not contributed in any way to flooding being experienced in the jet-set town. 

"The Vaturu dam has a spill-way where the water flows into whenever the dam is full or overflows with water. The spill-way flows into the creek that is below the dam," he said in a statement yesterday.

"Starting from November last year the dam has been overflowing with water until today.

"The flooding just started a few days ago whereas the Vaturu dam has been overflowing from Novenber last year." 

Mr Nagalu said the dam was designed in a such a way to contain a maximum level of water and any excess water due to rain or flood would not in any way affect the flow of water downstream or contribute to flooding that could affect residents.

The WAF's comments came in response to queries from concerned villagers living downstream from the dam and those residing on the Nadi River banks including Namotomoto and Narewa that are currently under close to one metre of water.

Perhaps the loss of the Water Authority's chief spokeswoman to the Bainimarama's propaganda harem is to blame.

If that wasn't enough, there are now reports surfacing that even the weather reports were inconsistent.

Conflicting weather reports leads to confusion 

Felix Chaudhary 

Wednesday, April 04, 2012 

CONFLICTING weather reports from different media outlets contributed to confusion on the ground. 

Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama said it was important that people in potential disaster areas received the right information to assist them in making informed decisions. 

"People need to know what's really happening so they can effectively plan for oncoming natural disasters. However, in this case, there was a marked difference in weather reports from different media organisations," Commodore Bainimarama said. 

"It is important that people are kept updated with the most recent information at all times, especially when it deals with the weather," he said while addressing government heads of departments at a Divisional Emergency Operations Centre briefing in Lautoka yesterday. 

Fiji Meteorological Office director Alipate Waqaicelua said some organisations sourced their information from weather bureaus as far as the US, which could be one reason there was some confusion. 

"We've had this issue in the past, where people prefer to go to other outlets and the choice is theirs. However, I wish to remind the public that the Fiji Meteorological Office is a world recognised organisation and the regional weather centre in as far as cyclone tracking is concerned."

Unfortunately the much feted Melanesian Spearhead Group summit and some of the waterlogged participants could not respond quick enough to grand plans such as a "MSG Humanitaraion and Emergency Response Force" (HERF).