A project to dredge the Navua River in Fiji is expected to begin early next month.
The interim government has awarded a 2.2 million US dollar contract to the company China Railway First Group to excavate 500,000 cubic metres of sediments across a 2.94 kilometre stretch of the river.
The Director of land and water resources management at the Department of Agriculture, Colin Simmons says preparations have begun and over six months workers will dredge sediments up to three metres deep and 100 metres wide .
"They can expect that at least the river will be able to accommodate some of the heavy, intense rainfall that we are currently experiencing and that contribute to heavy flooding in the area. And the river also is an outlet for a number of agricultural drainage schemes developed in the area. So that will provide effective draw-down of water during times of heavy, intense rainfall and flooding."
Colin Simmons says the government is considering dredging other major rivers in Fiji.
