TACLOBAN CITY — To mitigate the flooding problems, the city's local government has doubled its efforts in cleaning the drainage system. City Engineer Dionisio de Paz mentioned that they have been conducting declogging and clearing operations in parts of the city, especially in flood-prone areas.
The problem is not just trash blocking the flow of floodwater to the drainage system but also construction materials left by contractors, according to de Paz.
"Didto naton nasabtan nga mayda pa didto forms han scaffolding nga nakadto pa ha ilarom waray kuhaa nira nga supposed to be kukuhaon para maclear an agian han tubig," he said after disclosing the amount of trash that was dredged up in manholes, particularly in T. Claudio St. in the downtown area where the declogging team composed of CEO, CGSO, and CDRRMO started the clean-up operations.
The City Engineer also pointed out that structures, including wastes thrown by informal settlers, have clogged the waterways, making it difficult to conduct the declogging and clearing activities.
In addition to cleaning the drainage system, an ocular inspection and test/demo for an actual ground survey of coordinates of the Master Drainage Plan within the city using the Global Positioning Gadget Satellite were conducted at the Tacloban Supermarket, Brgy. 110 Utap, and Coca-Cola in Fatima recently.
According to de Paz, once utilized by the LGU, this Geographical Information System can generate maps showing various conditions to help in road and utility maintenance and engineering decision.
For clearing and declogging concerns, residents are advised to directly make their requests at the City Engineer's Office. Residents are also encouraged to cooperate and help maintain the cleanliness of the drainage system. Proper waste disposal and responsible construction practices can go a long way in preventing clogging and flooding problems in the city. —iTacloban (Source: CIO)