3 Apr 2003

Fiji water problems continue

10:29 am on 3 April 2003

Water problems continue to plague Fiji's capital, Suva.

And as Rita Narayan reports from Suva, the water department is now reducing the deliveries it is making of emergency supplies.

"More than 20,000 families have been relying on water delivered by trucks daily. Now the Public Works Department has cut back on the number of trucks, saying it has blown its budget. Soon, Suva's water problems could worsen with the arrival of over 5,000 athletes for the South Pacific Games in June. However, the organising committee says it has been assured there will be enough water for the games."

The Asian Development Bank has told the Government that it must corporatise the Public Works Department before it will release funds to solve the water problems.

The government is asking the ADB for a 50 million dollar loan .