SUVA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) has advised Fijians to use water sparingly following a dry spell currently experienced in the island nation.

Water Authority Board Chairman Bhavesh Kumar said on Monday customers who are already facing a shortage of water are requested to use water wisely for their immediate needs during this dry period.

He said WAF continued to monitor water levels in reservoirs closely by recording changes to the consumption levels as rainfall remained below average in the Western and Northern divisions of Fiji.

Kumar said for now, the water levels in the dams have not reached critical levels, but they continued to monitor them on a regular basis.

He said the dry weather conditions in the Western and Northern Division was quite bad.

WAF General Manager Customer Services Sekove Uluinayau said they would assist affected customers facing water shortages through water carting and other means in Fiji.

Makelesi Vuki, a farmer of Tailevu, said they could not plant anything because the soil was too hard.

She said the dry and cold spell and the absence of rain was causing a lot of dryness in the soil.

Vuki said her nursery was dry and she could not plant her flowers.