Acting premier warns of El Niño crisis in Rennell and Bellona

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Acting Premier of Rennell and Bellona province Collin Tesuatai is warning everyone about the current El Niño dry season.

Speaking to Island Sun today, Mr Tesuatai said the national government must help rural areas immediately.

“While towns are doing okay, rural villages are facing “double trouble” because their crops are dying and their water is running out,” he said.

He said this El Niño weather is very tricky.

“Even if it rains at night, the next day is very hot and dry. In the villages, it is much hotter and crops are not growing. It is a big problem for gardens. Even if you plant food, the plants die because of the hot, dry weather. Sometimes when it rains, the ground is so hot that the water does nothing. It is like pouring water on a fire,” Tesuatai said.

He added that while people in towns can still buy food and water, people in rural villages rely entirely on their own gardens to survive.

He said water is becoming a major problem in Rennell and Bellona as people depend on rain water tanks.

“If it does not rain for one month, they run out of water. Water tanks run dry in a month. When one house runs out of water, big families have to share from their neighbours. This uses up the water very fast. Even the local wells are very low and could dry up anytime,” he warned.

Tesuatai said the proposed plan from the provincial government with the province’s Ministry of Education is to close schools if the water runs out completely.

The Acting Premier strongly calls on the national government through the responsible Ministry to send officers to check on the villages.

“The province does not have the budget to buy supplies for the people. The ministry needs to send officers to rural areas to see what is happening. We should not have to ask them. The ministry is supposed to lead this work,” Tesuatai said.

He also calls on rural people to change their mindset and prepare for bad weather, just like people in other countries do.

“We take things too lightly, but Europeans take it seriously and prepare. We must take this seriously,” he said.

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