Winds wreck homes

 STRONG winds last Friday damaged food gardens and homes in three villages in Western Highlands.
Pentecostal Church Pastor Johnny Mawa said the 600 members of the Jika Panga clan in Mt Hagen were taken by surprise when trees were uprooted and homes damaged.
The people live in Emil, Kopuglom and Romp villages.
Properties damaged include the Nazarene Church building, which was empty at the time.
Officers from the provincial disaster office have visited the three villages to assess the damage.
Mawa said potato and vegetable farmers were badly affected.
“We are experiencing the change in weather patterns with heavy rain and strong winds,” he said.
“Even landslides and floods are common today unlike before.
“Can the office of the climate change and the disaster and emergency units inform us what is really happening?”
Mawa said people believe that this could be the effect of climate change.
“Natural disaster is not common in the Highlands and people are still confused why it was happening like that,” he said.
He said his people would suffer in terms of shelter, farms and food.
Meanwhile, Mawa urged the provincial disaster office to assist the people who will face food shortage in the next two months.