Sentani, Jubi – The flash flood that occurred on March 16, 2019 in Jayapura Regency not only destroyed Sentani as the capital of Jayapura but also damaged the main water pipeline in Mamei Village, Kemtuk District. The people of Mamei have been relying on rainwater as a source of clean water for two years.
Papuan Legislative Council lawmaker Eymus Weya said that the clean water pipeline in Mamei was built in late 2018 with a network of pipes reaching residents’ houses.
“The flood in 2019 destroyed the main pipeline that stretches over the Grimenawa river. There is only rubble of concrete and broken pipes on the banks of the river,” Weya said during his visit to Mamei on Thursday, June 10, 2021.
The politician of the National Mandate Party suspected the destroyed pipeline had not been handled because lack of data collection following the flood resulted in unmatch budget. “During the post-flood handling, the Jayapura Disaster Management Agency should have collected data on damaged infrastructures,” he said.
The data collection, Weya said, must also be carried out at the village level, so that damaged facilities in various villages due to flash floods received immediate attention and budget for repairs.
“One of the basic human needs is clean water. For [two] years, people in Mamei have only relied on rainwater,” said Weya.
Weya further said his party would immediately talk to related agencies about the reconstruction of the water pipes in Mamei Village. He also asked the Jayapura Disaster Management Agency to carefully collect data on the condition of infrastructure in various villages affected by the 2019 flash flood.
Meanwhile, Mamei Village chief Nimrod Samon expressed his hope for the government to rebuild the water pipeline in his village so that the residents could enjoy clean water without difficulty.
Samon told Jubi that before the pipe was built in 2018, the residents of Mamei struggled to get clean water. Now the people are struggling again. “The water pipeline in the neighboring village, the Yanim Village, is only 7 kilometers and it is at an altitude. We can only hope for the government to rebuild our pipes,” he said.
Samon also said that the clean water facility in Mamei was not only used by around 250 families in Mamei but also families in neighboring villages namely Mamda, Mamdayawan, Sama, and Nambom villages.
According to Samon, the water from the wells built on the banks of the river could not be used because it was cloudy and not good for the health of the residents.
Editor: Aryo Wisanggeni G
