Flood

The houses belong to senior officers of the police hierarchy.

The residences have been flooded since last Thursday.

At this stage it is unclear whether the deluge is caused by a blockage or improper drainage.

However, residents believe the flooding may be due to the lack of proper drainage as they claim the main drain has been clogged up.

The families have raised concerns that this is a barracks that caters for officers of law and order but yet, they live in degrading conditions.

If you cannot adapt, you either move to a more suitable environment or you lose the battle of survival.

In PNG where weather can be unpredictable at times, it has become a game of nature versus man

And like many who live near a river, when raining season is on, the people of Laloki along the Hiritano highway, Central Province have to be on alert. Because, any time now, it may flood!

The last couple of days has been good on Port Moresby.

However, the continuous rain has put those residing along the riverside on the downside.

A major road servicing more than  10,000 people in the upstream in the Kindeng area is under threat while hectares of food gardens, coffee plots and valuable traditional land have been washed away by the flooding river in the Reraka-Keripi area.

The same river cut off the main Kindeng-Dei highway and destroying villages, gardens and land while it cut a new route downstream several years ago. The road is still cut off. Attempts to have it fix redirect the river has failed.

Last week’s weather was unpredictable with showers and fine days.

This morning, the heavens opened with flash floods evident everywhere.

It could be a wet Easter period for the Province if the rains continue.     

Oro Governor Gary Juffa revealed to Loop PNG this afternoon following his assessment by air on the effect of flooding in the Kokoda-Oro Bay Highway areas.

The flooding has cut off  the transportation link between the main wharf, airport and Popondetta town.

 Juffa said: “Eroro, Kumusi and Girua bridges have not been washed away; it’s the temporary bailey bridges that had their bases getting washed.”

The new bridges costing K30 million funded by the Australia Government are works in progress.

The only bridge linking the airport and Oro Bay wharf in Northern province Girua Bridge has been washed away again yesterday (Wednesday Feb 3) during the heavy downpour.

Loop PNG was told by reliable source in Popondetta that the main dam was also broken leaving the town in total darkness with no electricity supply.

The source said PNG Water had also advised that there will be no water for the next one week.

The rain is still continuing with thunderstorm and lightning flashing across the sky.

More than 200 people followed the funeral procession for his son, Amilcar, 38, and granddaughter, Maria Jose, 10, whose casket was draped in white with ribbons of white crepe paper. Family members sobbed as city workers in hard hats and orange shirts used scaffolding to hoist her casket to one of the higher crypts that were opened up rapidly to make room for the scores of dead from the mudslide on the outskirts of Guatemala City. "Goodbye my beautiful!" one woman cried from the crowd.