No new cracks in Irisan dump wall

MAYOR Mauricio Domogan quickly absolved the dumping of mud from Burnham Lake to the decommissioned Irisan dumpsite, which residents fear would cause a collapse of the weakened wall.

Domogan, after Monday’s flag raising program, told reporters there are no new cracks in the retaining wall of the dumpsite but are the same ones from the August 2011 trash slide, which killed at least four people when an avalanche of garbage covered their homes.

He said these cracks will no longer be a cause of worry once the rehabilitation takes place as the damaged wall will be removed after the recent release of some P79 million from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The mayor issued a statement after reports reached Irisan village chief Thomas Dumalti last week that mud from the dumpsite overflowed over the retaining wall and was allegedly found seeping through cracks and have reached near homes of residents.

The mayor said they allowed the silt and sand from Burnham Lake to be placed in the dumpsite as topping and covering of the terraced dumpsite as part of the rehabilitation process.

However, he mentioned the problem with the overflow of mud happened when soil from Burnham Lake used to cover the inert garbage was wet and may have washed out in nearby homes.

This, he said, was immediately addressed by the contractor of the Irisan dumpsite retaining wall and rehabilitation project by moving the wet mud to the Irisan limekiln area to dry up first before being transported again to the dumpsite to be used for terracing and for soil stabilization.

“We really have nothing to worry about. It has blown out of proportion that reports have reached the public that the retaining wall has collapsed. We have to admit it has existing cracks after the trash slide which is now being addressed by the rehabilitation,” he said.

He said the contractor is starting the process of rehabilitating the dump site after months of paper tossing from the local government and the DPWH, the agency tasked to implement the project.

He said they are expecting the completion of the new retaining wall before the onset of the rainy season and to further assure residents living nearby that trash slides will never happen again in the area.

The decommissioned dumpsite is eyed to be converted as an eco-park. The City Government battled Writ of Kalikasan case filed by residents affected by the trash slide.

This was later on settled in the Court of Appeals after petitioners’ heeded commitments from the city government and its officials that dumping of garbage will stop in the dump site.