Erave airstrips upgrade

 By PETER ESOP WARI

THREE rural airstrips in Erave, Southern Highlands, which have been neglected for many years, are being upgraded.

Governor William Powi has funded work on the upgrade with K100,000 for each of the airstrips, built during the colonial era.

He also funded the maintenance of the Erave government station and the Batri road for K100,000 each.

The three airstrips had been covered in tall grass, which were cleared by the local people during the upgrading work.

Erave, in the eastern part of the province, has a population of more than 30,000.

Community leader Ezekiel Kipe told The National that after 37 years of “living in darkness”, the Erave people were starting to see changes and developments in their area.

He said most of the infrastructure in Erave was built by early missionaries and had deteriorated because of lack of maintenance.

“It is the first help we receive from our governor while former governors and MPs made empty promises during election periods,” he said.