dry spell

In a statement, the firm said: “OTML management has not activated dry weather measures at this stage, but continues to carefully monitor weather forecasts and stocks of critical supplies including food, diesel and urgent parts.

“Over the past 25 days rainfall has been negligible. Most OTML vessels are stranded in the Fly River, unable to deliver critical supplies into Kiunga or shipments of copper concentrate out. At a minimum, occasional heavy storms are needed in the Fly River catchment to allow vessels to transit through the shallows.

This was the announcement made by Finance Minister James Marape after the National Executive Council gave its approval.

Marape says the districts will now be the point for coordinating relief supplies for those affected.

He says the districts are closer to the people and response would be much quicker.

“This will also avoid the layers of public service process that delay response to disasters like this,” he says.

The government has also given a Certificate of Inexpediency which will allow districts to get relief supplies from the following business houses

According to Mr Knight Mr Meauri  will be visiting hard hit areas of Manus like the Baluan, Pak and Rambutso islands.

Knight says Meauri will also bring  relief funds.

He says after their visit to various islands they will return to Lorengau for the first meeting of the District Development Authority.

 Knight made arrangements with local businesses houses in Lorengau town for relief supplies however he is still waiting the Provincial administrator approval.

The Administrator is understood to be out of the province at this time.

The dry weather is continuing into the fifth week.

Mingende Rural Hospital in Chimbu Province is threatening to shut its operations due to having a poor water supply system.

The hospital's acting director of nursing services Peter Kelly told Loop news that all rain water catchment tanks had run out, leaving the patients and staff in dire need of water.

Kelly says most of the operations of the hospital are dependent on a good water supply system and without it they couldn’t  do much.