Village needs proper water supply

Letters

TAEMIGIDU village is a jewel blessed with majestic beaches and swaying coconut trees but it’s only problem is lack of proper water supply.
Located at Labuta local level government of Nawaeb, Morobe, it is home to over 700 people.
But the lack of proper water supply in this paradise, needs addressing.
With slow flow water taps, one has to wait till all the women in the village fetch water for their daily needs and chores before fetching water to take a bath.
By then it would be late in the evening when the taps are free.
Taemi’s water and sanitation issues is a catastrophe waiting to happen either for an epidemic of dysentery, typhoid or other related diseases.
Year in and out, one wonders if the village councillor has tried to get attention from the government or whether numerous politicians who visit the village have a heart for the people.
The water system in the village comes from a small water dam built by PNGDF soldiers on May 23, 1972.
The water runs from the dam into an old dilapidated tank reservoir and then flows into 10 water outlets located near the beach where the villagers use for their daily needs.
It has been 40 years.
When there is blockage, the community digs the pipes up with band aid solutions to let the water flow.
The dam is open and exposed.
There was a time when a dead snake fell into the dam.
That has affected a couple of people who got sick and received treatments from Buac health centre. Taemi is about two and half hours by boat from Lae towards Finschhafen, settled on beautiful white sandy beach.
It’s the only village speaking a different language from its neighbouring Yabem speaking villages.
Taemigidu is unique yet its problems and social issues are not different from other rural communities. Come holidays, people from urban areas visiting home, increases the number of population in the village.
From a recent survey by World Vision last year, there are about 153 houses in the village with an average of 5 people per house.
Only 29 houses have toilets, others use the sea.
My village needs a new reservoir tank, new poly pipes, new taps, and a proper covered and gated dam including proper toilets and some awareness on proper hygiene in the community.
I will be knocking on a few donor agencies requesting for assistance to make the plight of the village made known.

Getrude Tamade