OK Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) is pleased to deliver two water catchment tanks and a community hall to Tupensomi village located an hour by speedboat upstream of Kiunga in the North Fly District of Western Province.
Tupensomi is a village that does not fall under the Community Mine Continuation Agreement (CMCA) area but is an area of operational interest to OTML because of its hydro instrumentation located there which measures the volume of water that flows into the Fly River.
OTML Deputy Chief Executive Officer and General Manager External Relations, Musje Werror officially opened the project on March 12 in the presence of jubilant Tupensomi villagers and villagers from neighbouring Drimgas village.
The water catchment project is an initiative of the OTML Community Relations Kiunga/Bige Team at a cost of K67,000.
OTML engaged local contractor, Nanai Brothers, to successfully deliver the project safely to the Tupensomi community.
OTML Community Relations Kiunga/Bige Supervisor Martin Paining said: “After almost three years of negotiations we have communally delivered on this project to a community that is not part of the CMCA. Furthermore, the project is not confined to water catchment purposes but can be utilised as a community hall.”
Tupensomi project site landowner Sion Dengri, Councillor Dume Giwa, and Drimgas Community Leader Samson Upre were present at the project opening ceremony.
Mr Upre said Tupensomi was part of the Drimgas Ward and both the Drimgas and Tupensomi communities would take ownership of the project by looking after it.
He warned local youths they would be handed to police if any damage was done to the water catchment tanks and community hall.
Also present to witness the opening were Ligogo Wawa and John Pakao of Nanai Brothers, OTML staff – Martin Paining, Markson Yarrao, Clement Tele, Musi Bate, and Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) Infrastructure Development Manager George Kombe.
Source: OTML Press Release
