Dept to survey roads

Engineers from the Works Department in Madang have been tasked to survey eroded sections of the North Coast Road.
National Disaster Office acting director Rudolf Mongallee said the situation of the eroded section of the national highway at the sea front at Matugar village needed urgent fix.
Mongallee said his office had advised Works to send their experts to the area to assess the eroded section.
“Matugar villagers have informed our office and we are serious about doing what we can to help them,” he said.
Matugar was hit by strong winds two weeks ago.
A team from the disaster office who went there said trees along the beachfront and near the main highway leading to Bogia were knocked down by the  winds.
Villager Jeffery Patal yesterday said rough seas and strong winds uprooted coconut trees on the shoreline and was eroding the road.
“Coconut trees are now lying on the beach where two years ago it was a nice, white sandy beach,” Patal said.
He said the road was just 4metres from  the shoreline.
“The government will have to act now to prevent the road being swallowed up by the sea because we are not moving inland,” he said.
He called on the Madang provincial government and the climate change office to inspect and assess the situation.