Floods destroy Nipa Basin

By JAMES APA  GUMUNO
FLOODS washed away footbridges, killed domestic animals and destroyed homes and food gardens, affecting thousands of people in the Nipa Basin in Southern Highlands and Hela provinces.
Council president for Nipa Basin local level government David Navur said on Saturday in Mt Hagen that the tribes affected were Yamogen, Kainj, Lorop, Hulal, Pem and Yakolpa.
Navur said three footbridges built across the Waghi River connecting Nipa to Hela at various locations were washed away last week.
He said the footbridges were located at Ukaim in the Olmanda council ward, Hombalo in the Ungubi ward and Hukun Poia in the Nipa council ward.
He said 10 houses located near the river were washed away.
Navur said 12 pigs were also washed away.
He said the river burst its banks after continuous rainfall in the district since last month.
“It’s raining non-stop here. We can hardly see the sun.
“Most of our rootcrops like kaukau, potatoes and others are affected by the water.
“The three big landslides at Hingin, Solem and Tep in the Upper Nipa local level government area completely destroyed food gardens located at the foot of the mountains,” he said.
Navur is urging the provincial disaster and emergency officers to visit the sites and carry out their own assessments of the damage.
“It’s still raining here and we expect more landslides and floods,” he said.
Navur said they had never experienced such a long period of rain.
He said the whole of Southern Highlands was affected by landslides and floods because of the heavy rain.