Floods cause havoc

By PISAI GUMAR
BUSINESS activities and traffic flow along the national highway were affected in Wampar, Huon Gulf and Arifiran in Markham when two rivers burst their banks.
At Wampar, the Safi River burst its banks after heavy rain on Monday night.
It flooded the Atzera plains and the livestock grazing area, cocoa farms and food gardens which people from Rumion, Klin Wara, Tararan and Zifasing rely on.
Works and Implementation Secretary David Wereh said due to the prevailing wet weather, there had been a number of landslides along the Highlands Highway in Morobe, Chimbu and Enga.
“Our staff are already attending to them to ensure access and without much disruption to the travelling public,” he said.
The main highway between Klin Wara, Tararan and Zifasing was the worst affected.
Though the security situation at flood sites were under control, movement of traffic and passengers were affected.
Only four-wheel drive vehicles, container trucks and oil tankers managed to pass through the flooded area.
Buses travelling to and from Momase and the Highlands provinces after the Christmas and New Year celebrations were stranded on either side of the flooded section of the highway. At Umi-Atzera, the Zumim River burst its banks and cut through Arifiran village preventing vehicles into Lae from Madang and the Highlands provinces.
Meanwhile at Klin Wara, 38 family homes of Coastal Freighters Company employees, office and vehicles were submerged.
Huon Gulf MP Ross Seymour lost cocoa trees and livestock after the Safi creek burst its banks.
Huon Gulf administrator Aaron Ambang said officials would survey the area when the flood subsided.
Ambang told The National that reports would be compiled for the provincial government, the works department and the provincial disaster office.