Officers assess flood impact

 TWO officers from the Department of Agriculture in Jiwaka are conducting impact assessment work on one of the flood ravaged villages in the province.

Programme manager Umar Nuku and provincial coffee officer Fabian Api were on the ground at Bunum village on Monday to get the first-hand information about the disaster.

They distributed damaged assessment forms to more than 4000 flood victims.  

The flooded area was visited by the chief executive officer of the Border Development Authority, Fred Konga, last week.  

Api said the destruction was big enough to involve all appropriate authorities.  

“By judging the extent of the damage, I can say that it needed the immediate intervention of the provincial disaster office, the local MP and the provincial government,” he said.

He added that officers of the concerned authorities must work with them to help the victims.

Api said that they would be workers around the clock to get things off the ground.

He that it needed enough time to complete the work because they were on the primary process.

Meanwhile, community leader for Kanapugl Dingdimb tribe John Manga thanked the two officers for visiting them.  

He said that they have been affected by flood for more than four years without any government recognisation.

“We have been suffering silently but your visitation here is boosting our expetetation for government recognisation,” Manga told the officers.

Former councillor of Rungi Mamlka tribe Jacob Bulda expressed the same sentiment saying that flood had ruined their lives over the years.