Lama to Lai#3 Road

Site Visitation Report

INTRODUCTION:

A site visit was conducted in the Lama –Lai#3 road section as part of the maintenance by Community

Projects-[Roadworks] Section. The Lama-Lai#3 road section is a section that is maintained regularly by

the Roadworks of the Community Project Section of Barrick [PJV] Porgera Gold Mine Company. The

Roadworks team met with involved parties; the contractor engaged to carry out the project including land

owners and CROs in doing road maintenance along the bad sections of the road. This report identifies

key contacts aspects involved with the identified bad sections to be maintained at Injo and other bad

sections identified which needs rectification as soon as possible. We also discussed the nature of the

problem as Land Owners living around the affected area of the Injo Slip raise grievances including Purit

Quarry landowners.

KEY CONTACTS INVOLVED:

Maxwell Gola - Roadworks Foreman & Safety Adviser

Simon Tumu – Roadworks Supervisor

Darren Warai – Industrial Trainee, Undergraduate Civil Engineer

WK Contractor plus Truck Drivers

CRO from Surinki

Landowners around Injo Slump and,

Landowners at Purit Quarry pit.

INJO SLIP & UNSTABLE CULVERT:

The Roadworks crew headed by Maxwell Gola, had done road inspection a week or two ago and have

come up with a Scope of Works to rectify and do full maintenance at INJO Slip that is causing cracks,

landslide, culvert split and collapsing of the road. Also, the installed culvert has split causing the joints of

the culvert to lose and has created a hole at the centre of the road. Thus, causing the road’s gravel to sink

into the hole as the road profile is sliding away towards Lai River as it rains. The SOW was to do

Cutbacks and Backfill the Injo Slip section with the installation of a new 1500 mm dia. CMP and remove

the existing 1800 mm dia.CMP. As seen, the figures below identify the hazards from 13th

/12/2014.

Figure 1. Cracks at road, Injo Slip.

Figure 2. Culvert splits @ the centre of the road creating a huge hole about 1x3 m2, Injo Slip

Figure 3. Road shoulders are being eroded & are sliding off the road at the culvert outlet, Injo Slip.

Figure 4. The road is collapsing & splitting off as seen, Injo Slip.

Figure 5. Unloading of Boulders from Mine Site @ Injo, Injo Slip.

From the visit done on the 17th

/12/2014, we observed that the section at Injo Slip is very critical and no

Heavy Trucks are passing through. Locals had taken this opportunity and charged light vehicles passing

through a small access with K20 to K50 on each vehicle. As indicated below, the figures identify the

change that took place around the affected section of road at Injo Slip from 16th

/12/2014.

Figure 6. The section used by light vehicles only as indicated by the arrow. The cross represents the area being

affected after the visitation on 13th/12/2014 and the circular marked section is the identified hazard on

13th/12/2014.

Figure 7. These two views shows the culvert split and hole created @ the centre of the road. LHS of road towards

Surinki.

Figure 8. Split at the inlet of the culvert, Injo Slip.

The Inlet The Outlet

Figure 9. Cracks occurring as indicated by red lines at the same section but 30m towards Wabag where there is a

600 mm dia. CMP. The drain water is not flowing into the culvert's inlet and out of the outlet.

Figure 10. Locals stopping moving vehicles and charging them K50 to use the temporary access.

From observation the plants and trees at the sides of the road are not showing any form of slipping but the

case at Injo Slip is due to the drainage water, surface water and Injo creek not flowing properly into the

culverts installed, inslope and ditch but has been flowing into the road shoulders and eroding the road

binders. That has caused the whole road about 250m in length to slip creating cracks, humps and holes at

the road surface and surfacing the subgrade. Also, the drain water are flowing into the bedding of the

culverts which has eroded all gravels and lose sediments at the beddings of the culvert and has spread out

into the roads’ gravel beneath. These figures identify some of the affected areas.

Figure 11. The splits in culverts by the effects of unstable bedding caused by improper drain water flowing into

culverts.

Figure 12. Outlet part of culvert that has dropped some time ago with same cause.

Figure 13. As seen, no plants showing any form affection at the road sides.

LAMA SLIP:

When we, the Roadworks crew went down to Injo to do the maintenance on the Injo Slip, another hazard was

identified at the same section of the road at Lama Bridge. The area has landslide down to Lai River with half of

the road is sliding down to Lai River as well and causing cracks along the carriage way of the road which the

section is in a critical state. Also there are ground waters being identified which are running off towards Lai

River along the affected section and causing the road to unstable. The figures below identify the hazard.

Appox.250m road affected as indicated by

the arrow, Injo Slip. As seen, no plants

showing any form of the road sides being

affected.

Figure 14. Arrows indicating towards Lai River is where the road is slipping down to Lai River, Lama.

Figure 15. View of the affected road & Lai River, Lama.

Figure 16. Ground water causing road unstable & slipping off with cracks and holes occurring, Lama.

YAKANANDA LANDSLIDE:

At Yakananda, there has been a landslide 5-6m away from the road at the RHS towards Wabag. The landslide is

still occurring daily due to rainfall. It’s sliding off to Lai River.

Figure 17. Landslide at Yakananda.

THE LAND OWNERS OF PURIT QUARRY AND INJO SLIP GRIEVANCE:

On Monday, 15th

/12/14 we travelled down to Lama again with a Lands’ Officer. He checked the area if it was

registered for Roadworks to carry on and implement the task in doing maintenance at Injo Slip. We briefed the

Landowners on the maintenance work at the affected section. However, they did not compromise with

methodology put out on the Scope of Works as they raise their grievance.

The landowners at Purit Quarry had a little dispute among themselves on whom to be the caretaker of the

Excavator that was floated on Saturday. Also, they want to engage six (6) labours at the Quarry which is not

really acceptable in which the CRO from Surinki explained them but the landowners did not agree.

Contrarily, the Landowners from Injo Slip raise their grievance and stopped the Trucks in unloading the boulders

from Porgera. They raised their concern saying, “We do not like you to do maintenance with Excavator and the

Boulders from Porgera since the weight of the machine and rocks will put weight onto the slipping soil and move

the ground which will cause landslide in their village. Also, we are not blocking your road, the National

Highway and if you thinking of doing maintenance, it is free but you have to just do re sheeting without use of

Excavator and boulders”. We discussed their concern and persuade them to speak their true inner thoughts which

they have. They mentioned two (2) important points or concern regarding their village and the surrounding land

that has Landslide and about to Landslide. Their two (2) concerns or issues were;

1. Firstly, if you, the Roadworks want to do maintenance, you should be doing a month long maintenance at

this section of road in draining out the source of the ground water that is causing slip and the road to

unstable. Dig the drain as deep and far as you can and put the boulders from Porgera into the dug drain so

the boulders can be used as foundation support for the moving or slipping ground that is occurring daily

and causing the road to unstable. So the result or outcome of the work can minimize the regularity of

work or maintenance done along this section of the road by Roadworks and also it can help our land

which has landslide and which are about to landslide because we do not want to lose our land whenever

the natural disaster occurs. Therefore, we do not want Roadworks to do a week or so maintenance

because earth moving equipment is adding more weight for the ground to move and cause disaster.

2. Secondly, if Roadworks want do temporary maintenance as usual, a Goetech report must put in place and

fully pay off the unpaid land that are being affected now and are about to be affected and the Roadworks

can do whatever work along this section of highway and we won’t complain in losing our land.

This two points were raised as there grievance.

CONTRACTOR ENGAGED:

Aspects of effective contracting include efficient designs informed by local knowledge, use of local contractors

and consultants, generation of local employment and income, capacity building and use of appropriate

technology.

Hence, WK Contractors have been engaged to do the maintenance along Lama to Lai#3 section, especially the

Injo Slip section which is previously contracted to MMK Contractors for Maintenance. The locals are not

allowing MMK for any maintenance work along Lama to Lai#3. This is due to MMK delaying the Payments of

labour payments for labours being engaged around that section. This is another issue that may delay the work

along the Lama to Lai#3 which is at a critical condition at this stage. Therefore, WK Contractors is engaged for

equipment supply and labour engagement for maintenance work.

WORK PROGRESS UPDATE @ INJO SLIP:

Trucks have been engaged for transporting Boulders from PJV Mine Site with Mine Waste 75mm aggregates to

Injo over the last couple of days depending on the Scope of Work provided. The road section affected, defective

culvert at Injo Slip has been patched with four 1800mm dia. CMP for temporary access for traffic to use. The

section is at a critical state and it’s the Porgera Gold Mining’s lifeline in terms of supply for the Mine’s

production.

Updates have been discussed with Roadworks Superintendents, Supervisors and Engineers with Goetech

Engineers and Lands Officers for the maintenance to commence depending on the recommendation set forth.

Hopefully, maintenance work will be starting next week Monday, the 22nd

of this month [December], 2014 upon

the discussion, recommendations and methodology put forth.

Defective culvert section at Injo

Slip being patched for

temporary access.

Figure 18. Excavator patching the holes created by the defective culvert for temporary traffic flow.

CONCLUSION:

Temporary access is confirmed for traffic flow. From visitation and opinion brought forth from individuals, the

Lama to Lai#3 section of road should be studied properly with authorised personnel, experts and departments in

charge for Roadworks of Barrick PJV since Mine’s Lifeline lies on the Highway in terms of supply for

production, so to come up with better aspects of effective contracting include efficient designs informed by local

knowledge, use of local contractors and consultants, generation of local employment and income, capacity

building and use of appropriate technology for a long term achievement.

Report by:…………………………………………………………….

DARREN WARAI-Comm.Projects Industrial Trainee

Undergraduate Civil Engineer

Holes created by defective culvert

being patched for temporary access for

traffic.