Landowners want piggery to pay for water

A GROUP of landowners in Markham, Morobe, is calling on a company to pay compensation for using water from its river.
The landowners of Fampian, at Ngariawang village, Leron-Wantoat local level government, said the use of free water should stop.
Spokesman Rex Martin said the Rumian Piggery Ltd had been using water from their land for the past 40 years for free. But company manager David Duran said the water was “natural” and not owned by anybody.
“We only get water when there is rain and when there is no rain, we do not have water. The water is flowing freely into the land at which Rumion is located,” Duran said. “We got legal title over this land and if you want the land then go and see the Government.”
Duran said if the landowners wanted their land and payment for the water used by the company, they would have to go to court.
He confirmed that he had received a notice from the landowners to pay compensation.
In a letter dated Nov 10, 1997, former Markham district chief executive Tae Guambelek wrote to the company seeking compensation. “The same attempts were made in 1998 and 2003, but the notices were not honoured,” Martin said.
Landowner and Pastor Hati Gedisa said they should discuss the issue with the company.
“It’s been a very long time. People are missing out on benefits after RPL operated freely on customary land,” Gedisa said.
“Our plea is for foreigners operating businesses on our land not to deprive us and in the process suppress our human rights and customary land rights to our land and its resources”.