[?]ought Spreading

In Parts of Fiji

(From Our Own Correspondent)

Suva, Nov. 12.

RY conditions which have existed in parts of Viti Levu and in sr islands of Fiji since the January ricane are now becoming a full e drought in some areas. This fie second consecutive dry year, uva’s water shortage, which atened to become acute early in ober, was recently relieved by a ;s of short but very heavy iderstorms. In other districts, ever, the driest October on record created a serious situation, ijian villages in the coastal ons of eastern Viti Levu report wells have dried up and that in e places coconuts, which had i reserved for copra production, being used as drinking nuts. At iges on the mainland opposite island of Bau, drinking water es mainly from newly-dug wells :h yield only an unhealthy ing liquid that has been described l cross between soup and badly e yaqona (kava). Village ing-places are no more than -puddles. tie provision of adequate supplies ure water is one of the objectives he fast-growing Fijian Develop t Fund, but it is not known how h progress has been made in this :tion.