Tests sought for dying Fly River

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
DEBRIS and toxic material flowing down from the earthquake-affected areas may have caused the death of marine life downstream, authorities in Western say.
South Fly MP Sekie Agisa said he would invite government scientists to carry out tests and assessments in the Strickland-Fly river
system.
He said he had received reports of a large number of fish killed, probably by the pollution in the river.
Daru police station commander Inspector Soiwa Ricker said the upper reaches of the rivers were in the Highlands districts where the earthquake on Feb 26 caused much devastation.
The Strickland River starts in the Porgera–Laigaip electorate of Enga and flows down to Lake Murray in Obo then into the Fly River in Western.
Strickland is the largest tributary of the Fly River.
Ricker said the rivers had turned muddy and reddish in colour.
“We are requesting environmental scientists to come and
check the quality of the river,” he said.
“We are suspecting that the earthquake might have caused mudslides into the Strickland River headwaters in Porgera.
“Dead marine lives have been reported all along the river right down to the coast.”
Ricker says the muddy situation was also posing a risk to travellers in dinghies.
“It is overworking the outboard motor engines through the muddy rivers and will damage the engines,” he said.
Meanwhile North Fly Police commander Superintendent Joseph Puri said they had found the body of a 14-year-old girl swept away by floodwaters with her grandmother last Wednesday night.
“The child’s body has been found floating in the Fly River,” he said.
“The adult’s body is yet to be found.”