Feasibility study set for Oro’s wastewater

CAGAYAN de Oro City’s Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA) will conduct a pre-feasibility study on the wastewater, watershed and solid waste management of the city.

The program is part of the technical assistance provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAid).

City Councilor Emanuel Abejuela, chair of the steering committee who moved for the approval of the pre-feasibility study’s inception report, said the program is free and that the City Government will not spend a dime.

Earlier, City Mayor Vicente Emano submitted an application to CDIA citing the city’s needs “to strike a healthy balance between increased economic development and urbanization and environmental protection and management.”

Abejuela identified the “overarching objectives” of the program, which are the preparation of a pre-feasibility study including an integrated urban infrastructure investment program for the city that consists primarily of the Cagayan de Oro river watershed management, wastewater management and solid waste management; preparation of a resettlement plan to address the informal settlements along the riverbank including both on-site rehabilitation and relocation options; and assisting the city in identifying financial resources, particularly from the private sector, to implement the integrated urban infrastructure investment program.

Abejuela said they will also identify capacity gaps in the local government unit (LGU) and develop a complimentary plan that would allow the LGU to implement the integrated urban infrastructure investment program successfully.

He said the proposed project seeks to address environmental concerns such as water pollution at the Cagayan de Oro River due to absence of a sanitary sewerage and efficient drainage system, and inefficient and unsustainable solid waste management.

“The proposed intervention will improve the health condition of the community, especially the poor, by addressing flood issues and working on disaster risk reduction and access to basic services in the informal settlements and also by seeking either on-site solutions or relocations into a formal dwelling,” Abejuela said.

Reportedly, the project steering committee’s participation is to provide guidance and oversight in all activities since it is responsible for the review and monitoring of the progress of the project.

The committee will also ensure that the activities will optimize the benefit of the stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation and integration between proposed interventions in the priority sectors.

The members of the steering committee include different private and public sectors in the city with City Councilor President Elipe as co-chair, being the committee chair on environment.