Youths in Mt Hagen remove rubbish

A GROUP of youths in Mt Hagen city has removed rubbish that has been piling up for many years between the Gomis oval and Tarangau Primary School.
They were spotted with spades, wheelbarrows and cleaning tools this week at the Tarangau junction where there used to be a huge pile of rubbish.
Team leader Nathan Maso said the youths started cleaning up the filth on Sept 21.
“Our parents came and lived here. This is where we were born. This rubbish has been here. It has become a dumping ground for 30-40 years,” Maso said.
“Nobody has made any attempt to clean up the stinking mess. When the sun heats it up, it emits a very bad smell. School children and residents have been putting up with it for too long,” Maso said.
“We saw that it was an eye-sore and a health hazard. We also felt bad because it was like our home.
“Some of the people living here are very important people. They work with Air Niugini, MAF, NDB, BSP as well as the Transit Lodge located at the back of Tarangau Primary School. One of the expatriates who lived here had sold his property and went away because he would not cope with the stink.
“So we did not like to see it happen to the workers and property owners as well. We decided to clean it up and make the environment conducive for everyone to live, work and study.”
The youths have appealed to the surrounding Jika and Moge tribes not to interfere with this vacant state land because they have cleaned it up. They said the land should be left alone.