BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE
A concerned citizen is calling on the national government to address the decaying state of Su’umoli wharf on Ulawa Island, Makira province.
Robert Hulanga of Su’umoli village told Island Sun yesterday that the wharf, destroyed by an earthquake in 2016 is yet to undergo maintenance work.
He explained that although a contractor had left a sign board at the site, they have not seen any maintenance work take course.
Moreover, Hulanga stressed that sea level rise has already taken its toll on the already badly shattered wharf tearing out nets, thrusting off stones and washing away the very ground it sits on.
On that note, he said that this has left people curious on whether or not the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) has taken any action.
He emphasised that the people of Ulawa Island are facing negative impacts of climate change, impacts that will affect their economic, health, education and social welfare.
In relation, Hulanga said another issue also affecting the people is that they are now finding it difficult to travel around their own island.
He stated that the road on the island was not constructed properly thus could not withstand the wrath of last weekend’s heavy down pour which resulted in the destruction of a portion of the road which then led to the disruption of a nearby stream.
As a result of this circumstance, Hulanga said that whilst travelling by vehicle, people now have to travel around the whole island just to get to location that could have been easily reached by a shorter route had the road been properly constructed.
