Landslip cuts off scores of Jimi people

 ABOUT 20,000 people from Middle Jimi in Jiwaka are affected by several landslides that cut off their only link to the outside, buried six houses and destroyed cash crops and food gardens.

The landslides occurred two weeks ago, with about 20,000 people from four tribes – Maipkai, Mejigale, Tolika and Arakai – around Jimi Mountain, Lakaile, Sigaropa and Barliwa villages, badly affected.

People from 18 council wards in the Lower Jimi LLG council area who depended on the road to travel into Tabibuga district station and then on to Minj, Banz, Mt Hagen and Chimbu were cut off by seven landslides, blocking roads between Jimi Mountain and Lower Jimi.

Nevil Selo, a member of the district peace and good order committee from Jimi Mountain, told The National: “Our food gardens, cash crops like coffee and peanuts are covered and destroyed.”

Selo said that six houses at Maipkai village were destroyed but no casualties were reported.

He said the people from Lower Jimi who used to travel past his village were cut off.

He said they walked more than 40km into his village and jumped onto vehicles to go to the district station at Tabibuga then to Banz town.

Selo said some landslides were cleared by a DDA owned bulldozer .