DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Ancillary Service Unit (ASU) of the city government of Davao is set to investigate the disposal of wastewater of the on-going construction and infrastructure sites following the recent cases of flooding that hit the city.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, ASU Chief Paul Previldo E. Bermejo expressed suspicion on the probability that on-going construction of infrastructure projects could have worsened the flooding that recently hit the city.
Bermejo said ASU has implemented preparation such as the de-clogging of street canals prior to the start of the rainy season, yet, some portions of the city continue to suffer from floods.
“I am really confused. Before the rainy season and even until now we have constantly de-clogged street canals, however, it appears that flooding even became worse. Almost all areas, not just those identified as flooded areas, are affected,” he said.
Bermejo suspected that on-going constructions might have caused the worsening of flooding in the city, as most of the construction sites use the city’s drainage system in disposing of their tailings.
“We observed that the construction of government projects and even private buildings are among the probable cause of flooding,” he pointed out.
“They couldn’t pave their floorings if it is not yet drained with water. The water they draw would be usually directed to our city’s drainage system causing it to be clogged with water mixed with mud,” Bermejo added.
He cited a case in one of the barangays in Davao City where residents complained of flooding caused by an on-going construction.
“We have long identified this probable cause of flooding in these areas in fact in Barangay Bago Aplaya, they once lobbied a complaint against a Chinese businessman who clogged the waterways with mud that caused flooding in their community,” he said.
The city government, he added, has not yet identified any erring contractor as they have to examine the situations in construction sites.
“We are still discussing our action. The appropriate offices of the local government unit must intensify the inspection of these constructions and file appropriate charges if we could identify lapses,” Bermejo said.
“We still have to identify our move for this,” he added.
The City Disaster Reduction Management Council is also still formulating mitigating measures and short-term, mid-term and long-term solutions for flooding and other natural disasters in Davao City. (davaotoday.com)
