Airports Fiji Limited conducted their clean-up campaign in Nadi yesterday with a team made up of staff, stakeholders, Government agencies and residents.

Co-ordinator AFL’s manager Landside, Terminal Operations and Customer Services, Priti Ambalika Reddy said: “AFL is keen on this clean-up campaign, firstly due to the increasing number of threats of dengue to the residents and the travelling public.

“Secondly, Fiji’s law demands that 200metres around the vicinity of the airport should be mosquito free.

“People involved in this are AFL, Ministry of Health, Air Terminal Services, Motibhai, Pacific Destinationz, FRCA, Biosecurity Authority of Fiji, Rentokil, Tappoos, Department of Immigration, Fiji Police Force and residents.

“This is something that we have started last year as our stakeholder project and we are keen on having this done frequently.”

The team covered four areas in Nadi yesterday – Delana, Korowai, Newtown and Oldtown compounds, which belongs to AFL.

The concentration is on the AFL compound due to the current developments that is taking place at the airport vicinity.

Nadi International Airport health inspector Onisimo Sadranu said: “There is an increase in the number of dengue cases and in particular in Nadi.

“Nadi has the highest number of cases in the Western Division. That is one of the reasons why we have initiated this clean-up campaign.

“Dengue is a threat to the tourism industry, for us in the airline; we are particularly sensitive to disease trends.

“We are quite concerned with the increases in Nadi, so that is why we have involved airport authority and the other stakeholders in the airline fraternity.

“We need to ensure to that the number of mosquito breeding grounds is reduced, particularly in the AFL area.”

Feedback:  sheetal.prasad@fijisun.com.fj