GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO INCREASE BUDGET FOR WEATHER OFFICE

NUMBER OF FLASH FLOODS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

The Government has refused to increase the budget for the Fiji Meteorological Centre saying it needs more flash floods to have an accurate gauge of the radars.

The Fiji Meteorological Centre Director, Rajendra Prasad was earlier reported as saying that the radars are faulty and they need an extra $1.7million to fix the radar.

A source at the Fiji Meteorological Centre confirmed that the government had advised them to wait for better flash floods for at least another decade before an accurate evaluation of the radar can be obtained and the decision made on increasing the funding.

However according to the source, the 10-year deadline may already be over citing the number of flash in the last 10 years.

”Mr. Prasad needs to be more sharp and should have told the government on the number of flash floods in the last decade and the amount of damage it had caused,” the source quipped.

Meanwhile, Fiji Meteorological Centre Director, Rajendra Prasad refuted claims that there were flash floods in the last 10 years showing radar reports to back his claim.

In a separate report, the Commissioner of Police has reportedly advised the Fiji Meteorological Centre Director, Rajendra Prasad to stop thinking of his job security and be more vocal in the media against the lack of funding and to immediately call a press conference.

In other news, the RFMF has decided to wait on issuing a statement against the Home Affairs Minister until the weather clears citing the current media attention being focused on flash floods and landslides.