By Jim John
Deteriorating road conditions is an impairment to the people living in East Awin, in North Fly District of Western Province.
The road bulldozed from Rampsite to Barramundi Highway leading to Iowara Station Camp 10, needs upgrading to allow people to use vehicles for ease of access to the town area.
The road constructed in the early 1990’s for logging activity, has not seen an upgrade since, posing a huge challenge for East Awin people who take this route to town, about 50 km away.
With the road unfit for vehicles, Parents, children and students from Iowara station, Pari, Nomad, Lake Murray and other rural villages walk on this road for days and even weeks to access basic services in Kiunga town.
Drimdamesuk village ward eight councilor Gom Dewi expressed that the road needs to be upgraded with gravels.
He said this road connects rural villages in East Awin, North Fly District to rural villages in Middle Fly District, Nomad, Mougulu and Lake Murray.
The bad road condition has led in recent years to death for mothers with birth complications and snake bite patients among others in the remote villages that could not access urgent health care services.
The people in East Awin expressed that this issue has affected delivery of basic services such as health and education, revealing that they have been suffering for over 40 years, and are now calling on implementers within Western Province, the Fly River Provincial Government, Middle Fly and North Fly District Administrations to work together to address this bad road condition.
