Mt Hagen has lost its glorious days

MY recent trip up to Mt Hagen to spend Christmas with my parents has prompted me to raise the predicament faced by residents, visitors and commuters.
Mt Hagen must be the filthiest city in PNG.
Rubbish was strewn everywhere and the stench was horrible.
I also witnessed three stabbings while waiting for the PMV at the bus stop to Mendi and market.
Drunk young men were seen harassing innocent commuters and the elderly for money.
They were not youths from the settlements around Hagen but from villages surrounding the city.
I was told to be home before 5pm if I valued my life.
The third city is riddled with potholes and craters, making the K10 million road upgrading a joke as the company does not have any track record on civil works.
Vital services have deteriorated in the past 10 years.
Hagen needs the following services:
1.    Law and order;
2.    Sanitation, garbage collection and public utilities;
3.    Infrastructure such as roads and bridges;
4.    Health services;
5.    Education; and
6.    Sports.
I still remember during its heyday, Hagen was the hub and people from all over the country wanted to live there.
Sports teams from Hagen ruled the roost and the city’s schools topped the national examinations.
It is a shame to see the city sli­ding towards the abyss.

Jheorge
Via email