by Theckla Gunga – EM TV, Lae
More families living in settlement areas are losing their homes to eviction with the rapid developments in major towns and cities.
In Lae city, a number of evictions have forced people to resettle in new suburbs and rebuild their lives all over again.
But while many are adapting to their new living environment, others see it as expansive exercise.
In growing towns like Port Moresby and Lae, eviction exercises and displacement of evicted settlers is becoming a government concern.
The recent eviction in Lae’s Limki area has left families with thousands of kina worth of property destroyed.
While some have resorted to living in makeshift houses, others have resettled in Bumbu.
Catharine Kuri is amongst the group that decided to remain in Limki; she has been living in this area for over three decades.
Her experience is similar to other evicted settlers in the country.
Since the eviction last Friday, Catharine finds it difficult especially to collect water for drinking and cooking. Every night, she worries what tomorrow will bring.
Nengi Somba is another evicted settler; she lived here with her husband for over 50 years and raised their eight children.
She and other evicted settlers claimed no proper eviction notice was issued to them and the eviction came as a surprise.
Such evictions are not the first and they certainly will not be the last.
With the rapid infrastructural developments happening in major towns and cities, more families settling on government land will be evicted.
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