Thursday, April 24, 2008 Apathy still cause of Balili pollution By Ann Marie Malindog
THE continued disposal of wastes to the tributaries of the Balili River by residents of Baguio City remains the major contributor to the pollution of this body of water.
But while the state of the Balili River continues to worsen, environmentalists are optimistic the river can still be saved, provided people, particularly those living along its tributaries, do their part to rescue the river, which serves as a source of irrigation to the lowland areas.
Uncontrolled garbage disposal and direct release of sewerage and household water in the river remain the major challenges in saving the Balili River.
Environmentalist Julie Cabato said addressing the garbage problem would help government as well as non-government agencies' efforts in bringing the river back to life. "The problem on garbage must be addressed meaningfully," she told participants of the water forum held at City Hall last Wednesday. The forum is part of the Earth Day celebration.
Baguio City is one of the major tributaries to the Balili River, which flows down to La Trinidad, Tublay, Sablan and La Union.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) claimed the river is not yet considered a "dead" body of water since aquatic life is still evident, particularly in the La Trinidad portion of the river. The apathy of Baguio residents in saving the river has been assailed several times by the local governments downstream.
Alex Luis, chief of the Pollution Control Division of the DENR regional office, said efforts are being undertaken now to revive Balili.
Barangay Gibraltar, which is one of the headwaters of Balili, for instance, is spearheading clean-up drives to minimize the garbage, which flows into the Balili.
The La Trinidad Municipal Government, along with other non-government organizations (NGOs), is also conducting regular clean-up operations to save the river.
