Lae disaster plan proposed

IN recent years, months, and even weeks we have seen or read through the media of many parts of our global community devastated by man-made or natural disasters, with many lives lost, properties damaged and the unfortunate displacements of thousands of people.
It is also fortunate that many other countries had been spared by these too familiar and unpredictable natural disasters like tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, flash flooding, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides.
Back home, and of immediate concern, is whether the Lae city areas and environments have an emergency disaster management plan in place to manage any unpredictable man-made or natural disaster, for instance, a tsunami or hurricane hitting the city.
The national disaster management agency needs to immediately address this important forgotten safety, health and environment requirements before something disastrous happens in this part of the country.
Lae city, being an industrial hub, has companies involved in highly inflammable and poisonous chemicals. It is also prone to man-made disasters.
The tsunami that devastated our own Sissano area in Aitape, West Sepik, some years ago occurred without any warning and resulted in many lives lost, properties destroyed and many people left traumatised and displaced.
It took longer than anticipated for the relevant authorities to have responded quickly, simply because there were no emergency disaster preparedness management plans in place to handle such an unpredictable and dangerous disaster.
The population of Lae city and environments is about 300,000-plus, with increasing built-in infrastructure developments in the city and settlement areas.
There is also increasing number of vehicles which are causing traffic congestion along the city’s vital trunk and arterial routes. The roads are in a very bad state with potholes the size of craters.
As an initial requirement of the emergency disaster management plan, Lae needs a civil defence team to establish an emergency disaster preparedness management plan.
The composition of this team is to be sourced from various stakeholders, the army, police, churches, national and provincial governments, hospital authority, Salvation Army, non-governmental organisations, Red Cross, aviation industry, chamber of commerce and industry, local communities, fire service, etc.
If nothing is done and such an unpredictable natural disaster does occur, our unsuspecting citizens will be caught by surprise, panic, create havoc, and not know what to do, where to go, how to go and who to see. We could end up with many deaths.
The Lae city areas and environment definitely needs to have in place its own emergency disaster preparedness management plans to manage any unpredictable natural or man-made disasters that might occur within its foreshores and environment.

Lorenitz Gaius
Ketskets village