Tari hit by blackout
By ANDREW ALPHONSE
THE Tari township in Southern Highlands province has been without electricity for a month now.
Residents and business houses are feeling the pinch of the prolonged power crisis.
Following the breakdown of the mini hydro near the Dauli Teachers’ College, a generator was used to supply power to Tari.
Since June last year, Hides Joint Venture (HJV), a landowner company that would work in partnership with PNG Power Ltd in the K80 million National Government - funded Southern Highlands rural electrification project (SHREP) supplied free diesel to the generator to light up the town.
However, HJV chairman Philip Undialu said yesterday that SHREP that was supplying free diesel has “blown its budget” and could not continue to supply diesel.
Mr Undialu said the free diesel supply was done as a community service but now that their budget has been exhausted, it is important that the four Hela MPs including Governor Anderson Agiru, James Marabe (Tari Pori), John Kekeno (Koroba Lake Kopiago) and Francis Potape (Komo Margarima) should come in immediately and assist in providing funding for diesel to light up the town.
Mr Undialu said so far SHREP has used up more than K200,000 in the last six months to provide free diesel for the generator.
From Tari yesterday, Hela region United church Bishop Rev Wai Tege called on the Hela MPs to immediately ensure that essential services in Tari, like power and telephone are restored.
The clergy said it was unfair for the Hela MPs to enjoy living in comfort and bright lights of Port Moresby city and talk about “big things”, when basic services are lacking.
Rev Tege said the church’s business arm Menduli Trading in Tari is likely to close down its shop due to high cost incurred in running its generator during blackouts.
Bishop Tege said the township is now called “candle city” as residents turn to candles for lights at night, while candles are also used in Tari hospital wards at night.
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