Vital to restore link to h’lands

 Traffic came to a stop on both sides of the highway. Cargo and passengers cross the affected area on foot (right). 

Trucks carrying essential cargo to the highlands provinces of Jiwaka, Western Highlands, Enga, Southern Highlands and Hela from Lae and Madang and those coming the other way are forced to stop at various points. 

Food and fuel supplies in the affected pro­vinces can last at least four weeks, most businesses contacted by The National said. 

Kerowagi MP Camillus Dagima yesterday declared the landslip in his electorate an emergency and called on his people to exercise calm and act responsibly, and for the government to respond quickly to restore the link. 

Works and Implementation Minister Francis Awesa said yesterday he would invoke the law on people who took advantage of the situation to profiteer or make illegal claims. 

THE massive destruction caused by a landslide on the Waigar section of the Highlands Highway will cost millions of kina to fix, says Kerowagi MP Camillus Dagima.

He visited the damaged part of the highway yesterday and said the national government should treat it as an emergency and fix it quickly.

Dagima said the cost would cover not only the repair of the road but also landowners’ outstanding highway rehabilitation claims plus the repatriation of affected families.

The damaged section stretches for about a kilometre and also affects the Kondiu Secondary School.

“Cabinet must meet to deliberate on the situation as it is an emergency,” Dagima said.

He said resource projects and lives were adversely  affected.

“There is no other option. The economic lifeline is cut off. The highway is closed. 

“It’s an emergency situation and the government must intervene immediately to open up the road,” Dagima said.

“There is no accessibility, no by-pass. I want assessments done on properties and how the road will be fixed. The LNG project is affected.

“I call on people not to harass travellers.”

The affected clans are Dingiku, Tawiaku, Kawiambuku and Kumankaiye. 

The Kondiu Secondary School’s girls’ dormitory located close to Tine Creek is almost collapsing.

Gena-Waugla local level government president Wayang Kurumba said the clans had an outstanding claim of K1.6 million for the Kombuglo Givi landslip work with the government.

He said tribes directly affected were Kombuku Dingiku, Kombuku Tawiaku, Waugla Kumankaiye and Kawiambuku. 

They lost millions of kina worth of properties in trees, coffee trees, homes and food gardens.

“We want the government to pay us our outstanding claim,” Kurumba said.

PNG Red Cross officials were at the site carrying out their own assessment on the damage.