Rising water levels threaten govt station

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday November 5th, 2013

 A SECTION of the Highlands Highway at Mutzing, in Morobe, and the nearby government station are being threatened by the flooded Mangiang River.

District administrator John Orebut said yesterday the river level had risen dramatically after heavy rainfall in the mountains. 

The river burst its banks last weekend, flooding the Mutzing market, two shops and spilling onto the highway.

“A section along the road is in a low lying area and can be cutoff if rain persists in the mountains,” Orebut said.

He said the Markham Valley Secondary School could be affected.

Orebut travelled upriver with a team comprising officials from the provincial disaster office, works and local level government yesterday to assess the extent of the flood.

He said according to preliminary information received, about 2,000 people had been affected in the riverside villages of Zumim, Sauf, Dabu, Wampuai and Mutzing.

“It could be more,” Orebut said.

A works official from Port Moresby is expected to arrive today.

“We will have an up to date status report tomorrow (today),” Orebut said.

A massive landslide in the mountains in 1989 buried 75 people alive and caused widespread damage to properties.