by JAMES KILA
ROAD linkto Aiyura Valley in Eastern Highlands (EH) province has been cut off since the early hours of last Saturday after severe flooding of the Ramu River washed away huge sections of its banks adjoining the Ainora bridge.
According to Aiyura police, all vehicles transporting goods and services to and from Aiyura had stopped moving across the bridge amidst fear that its steel structure might collapse into the river after the soil holding the foundation was washed away by the river.
Johnson Bunava, senior police officer attached to Obura Wonenara police unit based at Aiyura, said continuous flooding in the area due to ongoing rain had washed away the sides of the bridge raising fears that it would collapse.
Government institutions affected were the National Agriculture Research Institute of Highlands, the Coffee Industry Corporation Research and Grower Services Division, the Summer Instititute of Linguistics at Ukarumpa, the Aiyura National High School, the Highlands Aquaculture Centre, the Obura-Wonenara District headquarters and a number of coffee blocks and plantations in the Norikori, Tairora and Obura-Wonerana areas.
Since Saturday morning, people had been carrying their bags and coffee produce, walking to the other side to board PMV buses and trucks to go to Kainantu.
Mr Bunava said coffee businessman in the area Nicholl Colbran had been using his machine to assist in filling up the river banks to hold the bridge from falling into the river.
Associate director of SIL Tim Lithgow told The National the situation was severe.
“We are all desperately encouraging the Works Department to solve the problem so that goods, services and movement of people are restored,” he said.
Fabian Api, a manager at the CIC research and growers services division, said he had to spend a night in Kainantu as he could not travel to Aiyura after the disaster.
He said most Government institutions at Aiyura receive their supplies via road and such a problem, if prolonged, would affect their work.
Officer in Charge of Works in Kainantu Lane Ufe said EH provincial works manager Steven Sapilo had visited the site to prepare documents to submit to their headquarters in Port Moresby for funding assistance.