Safe Drinking water

The provision of safe drinking water supply and sanitation facilities is a basic necessity of life and a crucial input in achieving the goal of .Health for Gerup people including their animals, the public services such as the teachers, the church workers and students of Gerup Primary School. The Gerup Five Year Development Plan envisages provision of potable drinking water to every animal life including man in the country on a sustainable basis and the pursuit of all possible measures for the rapid expansion and improvement of sanitation facilities in Gerup and around its surroundings. Provision of safe drinking water and sanitation is a State subject and is the primary responsibility of the States. However, the Central Government has been supplementing the efforts of the States through financial and technological inputs under Centrally Sponsored Schemes. And for Gerup the TewaeSiassi Joint Planning and Budgetary Committee has allocated PGK80, 000 in 2010. However, the money just whisked away by a ghost contractor.

Papua New Guinea is chronically hit by such corruption. People in the district office with their assistance and recommendation the ghost contractors get contracts of such magnitude and do not deliver. The funds dry up without actually translating it into tangible development.

Gerup water supply project

Since 1996, the idea of piping water to Gerup village was brewed. That year 2 student engineers were engaged who carried out an extenisve feasiblity study. They concluded that it was not feasible to pipe water to Gerup village. The study indicated that the source was 100m below the village or supply dispensend area. Gerup village has alot of economic activities that go on. At the same time has the following a primary school, a two men aid post and a village court house to support with a clean water supply. The need for water was severe that the water supply committee decided to seek another group for a further study to be carried out from a new water source. This source was feasible. However, the cost to pipe the water was mammoth. The proposed cost for the water supply project was $27, 000 The main reason being that the distant from which its going to be pipped is 14 kilometers. A non-government organisation was engaged to assist with the European Union funding for water to developing countries. The villagers contributed the 10% of the cost and the 90% was funded by the EU water for developing countries funds.

The NGO group that managed this fund was the Adventist Development & Relieve Agency (ADRA). All materials were purchased from Lae city and delivered to Sialum. The transported was from Lae to Finschafen on ship and from Finschafen to Sialum (Nanda) on trucks. Then from Nanda to Gerup the Gerup people themselves carried on their shoulders. The construction worked began and was completed after 3 weeks. When the water was connected to come to Gerup village it failed. The engineer found that it was because of the height of the source. He then recommended for a pump to be installed where  the pressure of the water was declining. There was also a partial funding from the TewaeSiassi district Joint District Planning & Budgetary committee (JDP&BC). A funding of $20, 000 but the funds (cheque) were paid to a ghost constructor to build the Gerup water project. The contractor fled with the funds leaving the project up and dry. Until today the project is still waiting for the ramp pump so it will pump the water to the village.