Washed out!

More than 700 people were left homeless after heavy flooding on Monday night and more were expected to lose their homes due the continued heavy rains in the Western Highlands Province.They joined another 10,000 people from the Nebilyer area who were cut off from the rest of the province because two bridges linking their area were washed away by flood waters last week.And seven Cameron Construction company vehicles were impounded by villagers yesterday, who blamed the company for causing the floods.

The villagers, mostly Chimbu people living on blocks near the Waghi River between Kindeng and Kondopina in the Anglimp area were taken by surprise with the flood waters rushing into their homes, sweeping away everything including livestock. Villagers told reporters that they were left with what they were wearing and were living in fear of their lives. Spokesman Gabriel Nolai said they lost 16 pigs, chickens and other domesticated animals, 26 houses and food gardens that they owned in their respective blocks.

The villagers, mostly Chimbu people living on blocks near the Waghi River between Kindeng and Kondopina in the Anglimp area were taken by surprise with the flood waters rushing into their homes, sweeping away everything including livestock.
Picture: ROBERT PALME.

Mr Nolai said the 700-plus people have nowhere to go as they were settlers and have no other reserve land.Drawing a gloomy picture, the spokesman said they needed immediate shelter and food as they had lost their homes and food gardens . Nolai said flooding was expected to continue due to the continuous heavy rain, which was also making it hard for them to move back to rebuild their homes for a long time and all food supplies would run out.

Mr Nolai said there was always flooding in the area with the Wahgi River over flooding the banks but the water would always keep to a certain route and would not flood the houses and gardens, as experienced in previous flooding.Supported by the village councilor, Mr Nolai said the flooding was a result of the construction company lifting the road against their advice.“Nature does not respect the brilliance of a person,” councillor Yer Bom said.He said Cameron would be the first defendant in this disaster and the Department of Works and ADB would be the second defendants. He said they would not release the vehicles until a positive answer is given by the company.

Meanwhile, Cameron general manager Ian Glendinning said the villagers got something very genuine.Mr Glendinning said he would take the matter up with ADB this morning at 10am and fight it out with them.He said he would also meet with the villagers in the morning before he meets the ADB people. Mr Glendinning said something has got to be done and his sympathies were with the people but their work was according to the specifications set by the Works Department.

He said the way to address the issues was through team effort as his company’s interest and that of the donor agency was to serve the people and the people’s problems must be addressed. Heavy rains in the Western Highlands has cut off 10,000 people in the Nebilyer area from Mt Hagen following the destruction of two bridges. Heavy flooding in the Dei area washed away food gardens and domestic animals in recent days.

By ROBERT PALME of the Post Courier


*** The national and provincial governments' responses to such natural disasters have not been overwhelming for the past years. What we're talking about in here is lives of human beings and those in authority should step in swiftly to bring life back to normal as soon as the disaster strikes.

The National and Post Courier have done a great job to capture pictures and write stories to put it on their front pages so that leaders on both isles in the government can respond to it promptly. If they don't act fact, I want be surprised to see related problems thereafter affecting the people who were affected. My thoughts and prayers are with these Papua New Guineans.