By Mortimer Yangharry
The Sepik Plains in the Angoram District of the East Sepik River will soon be accessible by road since time immemorial after excavators have crossed over the fast flowing and treacherous Siwi River and Maramuni River which are the main tributaries of the Sepik River.
The Maramuni-Sepik section of the proposed Enga-Sepik Highway has already passed through the two main tributaries of the Sepik River after roadwork initially started from the Pasalangus government station ( rural government station of the Maramuni LLG) earlier this year.
The Pasalangus government station lies along the border of the highlands altitude and the coastal topography as the temperature here is warm with high humidity similar to that of the coastal villages.
Contractors are working here in tough geographical conditions are tirelessly starting work in the early hours of the morning and finishing at dusk navigating through untouched tropical rainforests and complex geographical terrains to ensure the excavators break through ancient territory that have remained untouched throughout time immemorial aiming to reach the Sepik Plains in due time.
A total of four (4)excavators are currently constructing this strategic road link through untouched rain forests and terrains and will pass through the remaining 7 Council wards of the total of 14 council wards of the Maramuni LLG before reaching the Sepik Plains in the East Sepik Province.
Work is gruesome and tough but the determining force vigorously pushing the Wabag District Development Authority (WDDA) forward to tame these wild areas, people been geographically trapped in these magnificently isolated areas that have never been visited nor sighted by the outside world since time immemorial.
Second term Wabag Open MP and Health Minister Dr Lino Tom before becoming a politician walked and patrolled these isolated areas on foot doing medical evangelism work when he was working as a medical doctor in Enga Province.
The People’s Party parliamentary leader’s natural sympathy and deep sense of humanity for these once unknown people broke his heart forcing him to make a lifetime decision to enter politics in 2017 and the rest is history.
Currently, the hardworking road construction team of the Wabag District Development Authority is milling timber from the abundant supplies of local trees to build a temporary pass over the Maramuni and Siwi Rivers respectively so vehicles can easily transport road construction supplies and enable excavators to easily cross over these rivers during rainy seasons thus easily transporting other necessary equipment and food rations over these ferocious speeding mountain rivers to the other side to continue work that will eventually reach the Sepik Plains in due time.
The medical surgeon turned politician is determined to join Enga Province by road with the East Sepik Province in his second term in Parliament (2022-2027) after physically defeating normal civil engineering procedures to connect the isolated Maramuni LLG since time immemorial by road to the provincial capital of Wabag in his maiden term in office (2017-2022).
MILLING TIMBER TO BUILD TEMPORARY BRIDGE OVER FAST FLOWING RIVERS BEFORE REACHING THE SEPIK PLAINS
