Oro Province PNG , the Almost Forgotten Disaster. 

This disaster missed the headlines in November 2007 but Cyclone Guba didn’t miss the Oro Province in PNG —it wrecked considerable damage on the population, infrastructure, native gardens and water supplies. Some 200 people were lost in the flooding and tidal surges . Schools and community buildings have been destroyed ; as a consequence schooling has stopped in many areas.

Supplies of  clean  water from flowing creeks have become polluted and ceased to exist — old water tanks were  washed away or rendered useless, but worst still,  old army dumps from WWII  had been uncovered and are leaching toxic waste into the rivers and creeks Villagers are collecting rain water in pots or whatever is available. 

Acute diarrhea was  prevalent,  while cases of dysentery and cholera had been reported - Clean water for drinking and cooking water is urgently required. 

 

  
       


         

                                                  
                    Bridges  destroyed                                      Kumusi River  Bridge missing    

  

      






             And  another 

                      


















               

                             Villages were inundated and made un-inhabitable     
                                                       


Devastation on the Kumusi  River , during the flood the Kumusi River became 10 times wider than normal, wiping  out many villages









                   Beama village covered in debris
                   from the flooding  and tidal surges  













    




Once a clean flowing creek now a                                       A free flowing creek but badly polluted
        stagnate polluted pool 

 

The Sory 

In 2008, the District 9750 RAWCS Committee set up a matching grant to commence  the Oro Water Tanks project to provide some 60 water tanks over three phases . With  donations from the Rotary Clubs of  Camden , Corrimal, Engadine, Fairy Meadow , Kiama , Kings Cross, Minnamurra  and Sutherland and DDF ( Share ) from  the District Grants Committee, the RAWCS Oro Water Tanks Committee secured a matching grant from The Rotary Foundation ( MG69855 ).This gave the committee  sufficient funds to provide 18 tanks to 14 villages. 

Being a matching grant project,  we needed to secure a host club in the field - This was admirably filled by the Rotary Club of Goroka, with supervision of the project in the Oro province was undertaken by  Surrogan Bishop Denys Ririka of the Anglican Church, (there being no Rotary Club in Oro province). Bishop Ririka had initially surveyed the damage immediately after the Cyclone and provided extensive reports on what was required. 

The tanks were purchased in Lae and then transported by coaster from Lae to Oro Bay where they were uncrated and distributed by a team of Village Volunteers. The villagers were required to set up the new bases and arrange guttering and downpipes. This imposed a level of responsibility and ownership on the Villagers.

Below are some photos from the recently completed Phase I.   



The tanks were unpacked from their pallets &
 freight packages at Oro Bay 







Ladders are handy when it comes to transport the tanks 


 








  

Most villages were only accessible by boat and involved crossing 
some very wide rivers 







Off- loading a tank at its destination 






        Just up the beach a bit more and around the corner 




             A very  satisfied customer
             now connected to clean rain
             water .