Floods hit Bulolo folks

by GABRIEL LAHOC
BULOLO residents at Madang compound, Morobe, have suffered from heavy flooding after the Bulolo River burst its banks.
The floods affected hundreds of families.
The flooding, which started last Sunday after heavy rain, is the third this year.
And like previous floods damaged gardens, water supply and houses of more than 300 residents.
People there said the muddy river flooded on average four times a year and that had been happening for years.
Jerry Ingema, a youth leader and spokesman of the affected residents, has appealed to leaders and town authorities to address their plight.
“So far despite repeated flooding every year, we have never received any assistance from the authorities,” he said.
He fears for the loss of lives, saying residents were using contaminated water and negotiating the flood when moving about.
Ingema confirmed that some of them had moved from the affected area to traditional land of the local Patep people on the opposite bank of the river.
The ward 15 area is located on hills at the edge of the town.