Donation will be used to move Kadovar islanders to mainland

By GYNNIE KERO
The K100,000 donation from the National Capital District Commission will be used to purchase fuel for the PNGDF landing craft to move the remaining 150 islanders from Kadovar to the mainland.
They are currently accommodated on Ruprup Island.
East Sepik Governor Allan Bird said this when receiving the cheque from NCD Governor Powes Parkop in Port Moresby on Wednesday.
It is understood that 533 men, women and children from Kadovar have already been resettled at a care centre at Dandan in the Turubu area of Wewak.
Bird said: “It takes about 14 hours to do one trip from Ruprup Island to the main land and 6000 litres of diesel to travel both ways which is approximately K25,000 to K35,000 a day.
“The donated money will help refill the vessel to evacuate about a 150 people (from Kadovar) on Ruprup Island.”
He said 3000 people on Biem Island were yet to be evacuated.
When asked if the provincial government would still resettle the Biem islanders on the mainland even though the Rabaul Volcano Observatory said the Biem volcano was not showing any signs of volcanic activity, Bird replied: “We will consult with the experts and work out what our options are.”
He said the province would be faced with a “logistical nightmare” to conduct further evacuation exercises once the military vessels returned to base.
Meanwhile, Department of Provincial and Local Government Affairs Secretary Dickson Guina said about K4 million would be needed to help the people from Kadovar and Biem islands.