The Fiji government has awarded Hall Contracting (Fiji) Limited a $3.7 million contract to dredge the Nadi River to avoid flooding in the tourist town.

Floods in January this year caused about $10 million worth of damage to Nadi Town and nearby areas. This included loss of businesses and massive destruction to agriculture.

The signing of the contract for the second phase of dredging of the Nadi River was held yesterday at the Ministry of Primary Industries Headquarters in Toorak, Suva.
 
Director for Land, Water and Resource Management (LWRM) at the Ministry of Primary Industries, Lakshman Mudaliar said the actual dredging process involves the excavation of material, its deposition and management at designated sites.
 
The dredging works aims to improve the flow capacity of the Nadi River which due to heavy sedimentations is frequently flooded.
 
“However, it should be noted that improving the discharge capacity of Nadi River will have to be addressed from various dimensions involving dredging, river alignment, watershed management and taking an integrated approach in managing water resources in the Nadi River Basin,” said Mudaliar.
 
If weather permits, the dredging should be completed by November this year.
 
Meanwhile, the third phase of Nadi River dredging is expected to begin in 2010.