K1m to upgrade sewerage system

THE current sewerage system in Goroka town was built in the 1960s to accommodate only 10,000 to 20,000 people and is now outdated and deteriorating at a faster rate.
Goroka town Mayor Robin Enka pointed this out at the Eastern Highlands provincial assembly last Wednesday while applauding an allocation of K1 million for its upgrade.
The money was appropriated in the 2008, provincial government budget passed by the assembly at the same time.
“Goroka town is sitting on a time bomb with a defunct and outdated sewerage system. I thanked Governor Malcolm Kela-Smith for the K1 million for upgrading the system,” Mr Enka said.
He said the ULLG would provide a counterpart funding of K120,000 to complement the allocation to erect a modern system to contain the current pressure of the growing population.
He said as the sewerage system was built in the 1960s, it had gone under immense pressure from the growing population.
An estimated current population of over 50,000 is heavily rely on the fast appalling sewerage system.
Meanwhile, Mr Kela-Smith said Goroka’s sister town of Kainantu, which is the gateway to the Highlands region needed desperately to upgrade of its sewerage system, adding that they would consider it as a matter of urgency from the K8 million to be released by the National Government.
He said work was expected to begin early next year.
Residents and business houses around the town have been experiencing leaking sewerage mains causing raw sewerages to spill on to the streets and residents.
Residents at Seigu section of the town early this week wrote to the town authority expressing concerns that if authorities failed to take appropriate actions, they would sue them.