Section at Teine creek damaged

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
BIG trucks cannot use the Highlands Highway after heavy rain washed away a section of the road at the Teine creek in Kerowagi, Chimbu province, last Thursday.
A 20m-wide section of the road had been damaged.
Trucks transporting goods and machineries for business houses and mining operation at the Porgera gold mine and multi-billion kina liquefied natural gas projects in Hela province have been stranded in Kundiawa town.
Commuters seeking to catch buses on the other side of the creek are charged K2 to cross the foot-bridges constructed by locals, especially the Waugla Muguwaku landowners.
The landowners have demanded K10 million from the national government.
They raised this during a meeting on Saturday with provincial works manager Amos Dakma, acting provincial police commander Peter Kama and provincial administrator Joe Kunda.
The landowners were represented by Herman Kagl, Onguglo Kela, Gabriel Kugame and Kugame Waine.
They also gave Kunda a petition to deliver to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, demanding K10 million before they would allow the bridge to be fixed.
The landowners also demanded an additional payment of K17 million for the road section from the border of Eastern Highlands and Chimbu to Miunde.
A temporary one-lane bridge had been constructed for light vehicles to use.
Kagl said culverts and sections of the road had been washed away three times already.
He said their demands for compensation from the government had always been ignored.