Juffa urges landowners to help in rebuilding

 NORTHERN Governor Gary Juffa has called on landowners in the disaster affected areas to help the provincial government restore normalcy.

Juffa, who made a short visit last Friday to assess the situation, said damage to roads and bridges was quite enormous and would take a while for services to return to normal.

To date, there are no wet crossings built for the damaged bridges. The Girua Airport remains closed as the provincial authorities continue their negotiations with the landowners in the disaster-affected areas of Girua and Haijo.

It is understood that landowners of Girua and Haijo did not allow the  building of the wet crossings for motorists to reach the Oro Bay-Popondetta highway.

Juffa had visited the province starting from Kokoda, stopped at Kumusi bridge, then continued on to Oro Bay and into Popondetta.

Juffa asked the landowners to let work begin on restoring services to the province. According to a situation report released by the Northern provincial disaster committee, major road infrastructure connecting the sea port of Oro Bay, the airport of Girua into Popondetta town and other satellites have been damaged. 

The temporary Girua Bailey Bridge has collapsed, isolating the town from the port of Oro Bay and the Girua Airport.

Haijo, a permanent structure bridge linking the airport of Girua and surrounding areas to the township of Popondetta, has also been damaged. 

The report said movement of traffic from the township of Popondetta to these vital ports had been disrupted.

The Saiho culvert along the Kokoda highway was washed away, leaving a wide impassable trench.

Reports from Kokoda Highway revealed that Kumusi Bridge was on the verge of collapsing, while Eiwo and Ilimo Bridges had their foundations eroded by flood waters.

Small creeks along both highways burst their banks, leaving debris along the national highways.