By MADELEINE AREK
ALL schools in Lae were closed just after they began the day yesterday morning.
In one of the country’s highest learning institutions, the University of Technology, students who woke up to more suspense over their council’s legitimacy, found they had no water to wash and no breakfast.
The national catering services, which feeds the university, said they could not prepare breakfast as there were no power and water at the mess.
Students from Lae Secondary, Bumayong, Bugandi, St Paul’s, Huonville and Markham Road primary schools were sent home as early as 9am when teachers found that the water shortage had continued.
By mid-day yesterday, most Government offices within Top Town were left with skeleton staff.
Officers from the Department of Morobe, however, strove on until 3pm.
Companies around the industrial zones of Milfordhaven and Voco Point, continued work.
Heavy rains in Lae last Wednesday night disrupted power and water supplies to all parts of Lae city and its suburbs.
PNG Power said a high voltage cross-arm from a power pole at Taraka had fallen off during the storm last Wednesday, cutting power supply to East Taraka, where the PNG Waterboard pump is located.
They also said maintenance work is currently underway at their Ramu station and that is why they are load-shedding power supply from the Taraka power station.
PNG Waterboard confirmed that water supply to some areas of the city was affected last Thursday.
The suburbs of Eriku, Papuan Compound, Buimo, Taraka and Bumayong were without water the whole day yesterday.