Caption: Nadi town council CEO Robin Anganu (fourth from left) and Special Administrator Robin Ali during the Nadi river flood control structure meeting at the Nadi town council chambers yesterday,February 4. Photo: ANUSHIL KUMAR.
Work continues into the Planning of the Nadi Flood Control Structure Project in the Western Division by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Study team.
This was relayed to the Commissioner Western Manasa Tagicakibau and representatives of Government Ministries and Departments, statutory bodies and private sector agencies who all attended the Technical Working Group meeting in Nadi today.
Commissioner Western, Mr Tagicakibau in opening the meeting called for a more concerted and integrated approach amongst all stakeholders to assist this study.
The Government of Japan and the Fijian Government signed a Memorandum of Agreement last year for the study of the Planning of the Nadi Flood Control Structure Project to address the management of flooding.
The Ministry of Agriculture as the implementing agency had conducted a Joint Steering Coordinating Committee meeting on August 22 last year to which it was agreed that a Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) would be formed to assist the Ministry of Agriculture in project implementation and coordination.
Director Land Water Resource Management at the Agriculture Ministry Mr Colin Simmons said the coordinating committee will be the decision making body that will consider the study findings and recommendations by the JICA team. The committee’s role, he said, is to assess, analyze and deliberate on the technical study aspects and the recommendations to the Joint Coordinating Committee.
Mr Simmons expressed his appreciation to those present on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, as he said it was well represented and reflective of the support from the respective Government Ministries/Departments, statutory bodies and the private sector.
He said that the meeting today provided an update into how far the JICA team has been progressing in terms of the Study.
Mr Simmons reiterated the Commissioner’s comments and called on agencies to collaborate and share with the study team the necessary information they have that will help the JICA study team plan and propose technical aspects of the project before it is presented to the JCC.
He said the JICA study team will report back with a Master Plan by May this year.
DEPTFO