‘Lake’ swamps flatlands, destroys homes, gardens

A GROUP of villagers are trying to figure out how to deal with a “lake” which has destroyed their homes and covered the flatland they use for farming.
Patep Munanyun villagers say the lake-like feature formed when the nearby Buang River burst its bank close to where it meets the fast-flowing Kumalu River. Water flowed into the nearby flat land submerging food gardens and destroying everything else there including homes, latrines, kitchens and the Buang Road which leads to the main Bulolo highway.
The villagers in the Mumeng local level government now have to deal with almost ten feet of water. The two rivers meet further downstream from the village.
They have even built rafts from logs and banana trees to cross the lake. Patep Munanyun villagers number between 400 and 500, according to the recent census.
The lake covers an area of about 5,000 square metres and has extended to Jamondanga village in the Buang local level government located about 4km upstream from Munanyun village.
Villages in the area are located on high ground overlooking the river while gardens are on the flat fertile land below on both sides of the river. All the gardens are now submerged.  
Sediment from the Kumalu river including rocks, boulders, gravel, sand and mud are carried into the pass.
According to Munanyun villagers, the pass was completely blocked for a few days.
“On seeing the lake rising fast, we mobilised ourselves and waded through the water to the blockage and tried to clear it,” villagers Rogan Yansom and Jocks Taegeyam, said.
They said no government authority had done any assessment on the damage done to the land and their properties.
The Buang people now have to use the back road from Gabensis village to reach Lae.
Those who choose to go to Buang via Mumeng or vice versa, have to pay K5 and if they have cargo, another K2, to use the rafts built with banana stalks.
The rafts are referred to as ‘banana boats’.
The banana boats are slowly being replaced by canoes cut out of the balsa or the Erima trees.
It is feared that if the blockage is cleared suddenly, massive flowing will occur, affecting the main highway and the Bangalum bridge situated not too far away down the Snake River towards Bulolo.