By PATRICK TALU
THE Morobe Mining Joint Venture is paying a one-off ex gratia compensation payments of more than K2.6 million to people along the Watut River who are environmentally affected and displaced by the Hidden Valley
According to a statement released yesterday, payments began last week and is now into the second week.
The payments followed consultation and assessments conducted by Hidden Valley Mine Joint Venture (HVJV) through working with communities, local level and Morobe provincial government, representatives, the Mineral Resources Authority officers and other stakeholder groups.
Late last year, HVJV voluntarily committed to the communities along the Watut River
The said damage could have been partly traceable to the Hidden Valley
Three teams comprising HVJV officers and the government, community and MRA along with witnesses provided by local community including the Union of Watut River communities began the task of assessments in the lower, middle and upper Watut last March.
Over the past several months, the teams have assessed more than 2,200 claims for individual compensation, with Upper and Lower Watut receiving their payments while Middle Watut payments are still being finalised.
The payment exercise is expected to be completed by the end of next month.
According to the HVJV compensation procedure, assessments undertaken throughout the Watut River System include loss of gardens, crop trees with food or commercial value and infrastructure caused by possible increased sedimentation or over-bank flooding.
So HMJV or MMJV whichever think that a couple of hundred/thousand kina's going to compensate for the loss of the livelihood (gardens, fish, water, forests etc)of the Bulolo/Watut people? this should have been prevented in the first place! How appalling. Ok Tedi rivers dead and the people are suffering,Panguna's Jaba river is still polluted and toxins still seeping thru the banks and reaching the gardens and other waterways AND Pollution of the environment was one of the causes of armed conflict on the island and struggle of local people for independence. Misimas seas are still a mess due to cyanide poisoning, Lihir waste already covers 60 square kilometers of the ocean floor and it has already and endangered a tuna fishery and village food sources! So people of Morobe are we going to suffer too?? All those payments that those landowners are getting, i hope it fixes all your pollution problems, and takes care of your children, ur grandchildren and ur great grand children, i pity you and i! that payment u are getting isnt worth the damage caused. Not even close.
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