Sinkhole near PNG's capital signals deepening water network crisis
Papua New Guinea's state water utility says a decades-old pipeline supplying nearly one million people in Port Moresby is at risk of collapsing. A large sinkhole near the capital is seen as a final warning; without urgent repairs, more than half the city could lose its water supply.
Water PNG chief Raka Taviri Jr told a press conference in Port Moresby on Tuesday that the capital's main transmission pipeline dates from the 1970s and has long passed the limits of maintenance. A six-metre-deep sinkhole that formed in the Tagana neighbourhood last week is seen as a sign of soil erosion beneath the pipe.
Taviri said, « this sinkhole is a final warning; if action is not taken in the next twelve months, half of Port Moresby could go without drinking water. » The utility estimates that 410 million kina (roughly $110 million) is needed for emergency repairs; the government budget currently provides only 65 million kina.
Prime Minister James Marape said assistance would be sought from Australia and New Zealand through the Pacific Development Fund. Canberra's Minister for the Pacific, Pat Conroy, said Australia could provide up to A$60 million in support. A World Bank technical team will audit the city's entire water network next month; a renewal programme could begin in 2027.
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