City goes 4 days without water

Highlands

THOUSANDS of Mt Hagen city residents went without water for four days after the city’s water supply at Rabiamul was shut down last Thursday.
The main valve was shut off last Thursday night and city residents had no water until about 11pm on Monday night when the water supply was turned on again.
It was alleged that some people poured harmful chemicals into the water supply intake pipe, but this could not be verified with the Water PNG office in the city as their office was closed following the election-related unrest last week.
Business Houses and residential houses with back-up water supply were not affected but the majority of the city residents depending on the main water supply were badly affected.
Some stored rain water and used it for cooking, drinking and washing.
Highlands Eastern End police divisional commander Nema Mondia said that he was aware of the rumours about chemicals poured into the main water supply.
Mondia said that Water PNG staff would check on the allegation and test the water properly before opening the main tap for the people to use. Apparently, when Water PNG staff checked that all was okay, they turn the water back on on Monday night.
City residents affected by the shutdown of the water supply used the nearby Kala and Kum rivers for their daily needs.
Verolyn Paul, a mother of a
one-year-old daughter living near Premiers Hill, said that she had piles of dirty laundry but could not take the risk of walking a long distance to Warakum to wash.
She said rainwater has helped her.