Flooding problem can be eased, says McLay

THE continuous flooding of the Highlands Highway in the Markham Valley of Morobe can be addressed if equipment are provided to clear silt and sediment flowing down from the Finisterre Range.
Lae Chamber of Commerce Inc president Alan McLay told The National that this was the case particularly at Zumim where the Mangyang River continued to affect the highway every time it burst its banks.
“The bridge at Zumim is a continued problem,” McLay said.
“It’s reflooded again.”
He said Ramu Agri Industries Ltd – which is involved in sugar, oil palm and cattle in the neighboring Ramu Valley – had raised its concern with the chamber that the water level at Zumim continued to be high and strong.
“Local Markham boys have patched potholes and waterholes in the road and charge every vehicle passing through,” McLay said.
“Small vehicles and buses are having a hard time passing through the area because of the floods. They pass through at their own risk.”
McLay said the problem started in the early 1990s when there was a major landslide at Finisterre Range. It created a build-up of silt and sediment, causing river levels to rise fast. He said the Works Department should dredge the streams or raise the level of the road so that it was higher than the drains.
He agreed with Works and Implementation Secretary David Wereh that it was a natural phenomenon beyond the control of the department.