Trapped water poses danger

 By PETER ESOP WARI

LAKE Ivae in Surinki, Enga, has begun draining excess water trapped in its catchment area following a recent landslide.

A small portion of water trapped between the Surinki-Tuksanda-Porgera access road culvert and the 15m high and 50m wide landslide drained out yesterday morning without causing any damage. 

However, Good News Lutheran Church Bishop Terry Kome yesterday warned of imminent danger if a larger portion of water trapped by the landslide forced its way out.

He warned people living downstream to immediately move to higher grounds.

Kome said since the blockage occurred on April 25, the provincial and national disaster centres had not made any attempts to visit the area and the people’s calls for assistance had fallen on deaf ears.

“This is a very serious issue and why are the disaster centres ignoring this?” Kome said.

The bishop said Laigaip-Porgera district administrator George Poio and Enga provincial administrator Dr Samson Amean were aware of the situation as reports had been sent to them but they did nothing.

“Unlike the past, today is a real danger as the blockade has been cleared by the first outflow and the blockade at the culvert would soon burst out and is a big disaster to the province,” he said.

“If the waters burst out anytime and cause disaster in the province, the Enga provincial administration will shoulder the blame for ignoring this. People whose food gardens were submerged underwater are starving and they need help but no one is there to help them.”

Poio said he had sent the reports to the Enga Provincial administration and was only waiting for their action.

Attempts to call the Enga provincial disaster office were unsuccessful yesterday.