Thursday, September 07, 2006
CH to tear down 2T houses near creeks, rivers
By Rene H. Martel
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
Friday next week, Cebu City Hall will start tearing down 2,653 houses that encroach into or at the banks of rivers and creeks in 35 barangays.
Cebu City Councilor Gerardo Carillo said that unless other concerns will intervene, Vice Mayor Michael Rama’s deadline for the residents to vacate their homes is Sept 15.
Otherwise, City Hall will be forced to demolish their houses.
Carillo, chairman of the committee on social services, said the City Disaster Coordinating Council (CDCC) identified the houses after personnel scoured rivers and creeks to pinpoint which structures should go.
He said it will take political will on the part of City and barangay officials, but the residents should move out of their homes.
The figure, he added, does not even include those houses within the three-meter easement for rivers and creeks.
City Hall is determined to implement a massive clearing of rivers and creeks after six persons, including three children, drowned last Aug. 30 in Sindulan, Barangay Mabolo when the basement they were renting got flooded.
A DEPW report showed that the size of the water channel at a motel and a private property across it on Cabalse St. was narrow that water flowed back.
Engineer Kenneth Enriquez of DEPW reported that the culvert at the motel was inadequate to cope with the volume of water.
Residents and officials blamed the motel for allegedly reducing the drainage culverts to just one instead of two.
Carillo said that because the opening downstream was constricted, water pooled and overflowed, causing the fence to collapse and for water to get into where the victims were.
DEPW reported that “just downstream and nearest to the collapsed fence, houses were built directly above the waterway,” reducing the water channel’s width, and caused more flooding.
Carillo said they will present the CDCC’s findings, which was based on the DEPW report, to the City Council, which he said has the discretion to institute legal action on whoever should be faulted for the tragedy.
The City Development Council yesterday endorsed to the City Council the long overdue drainage master plan.
Carillo, though, said the master plan has a lot of flaws because it was drafted and finalized without consultation with affected barangays.
One such flaw, Rama earlier said, is that the proposed drainage does not connect with those made by the barangays and vice versa.
According to the CDCC list, 1,693 houses should be demolished in the north district.
Mabolo tops
The most number is in Mabolo with 238, followed by Sitio Laguerta in Barangay Lahug with P174; Camputhaw, 144; Banilad, 133; Tinago and Pahina Central, 128. Other houses are in Talamban, 6; Bacayan, 59; Capitol Site, 69; Calamba, 82; Carreta, 64; Sambag II, 82; Ermita, 43; Apas, 19; Tejero, 78; Lorega, 45; Sambag 1, 65; Kasambagan, 33; T. Padilla, 54; and San Jose, eight.
There are also 960 houses recommended for demolition in the south district. Most are in Buhisan with 162; Inayawan, 124; Bulacao, 111; Guadalupe, 96; Duljo-Fatima, 81; Pasil, 79; Tisa, 77; Kalunasan, 51; Sapangdaku, 46; Labangon, 37; San Nicolas Proper, 32; Duljo-Fatima, 28; Pahina San Nicolas, 19; and Punta Princesa, 17.
Vegilantes
CDCC concluded in its investigation on the Mabolo incident that the reduction of the width of the natural waterway contributed to the overflow of the creek.
It recommended that more hydrology and drainage analysis should be made downstream of Mahiga River “to adequately assess its capacity.”
“Tidal fluctuation has to be considered also and its effect upstream,” it added.
In the meantime, residents living near rivers and creeks should be “very vigilant especially when the rain is heavy and continuous,” Enriquez said.
Carillo said that once the waterways are cleared, barangay officials should see to it that no one builds structures near them again.
The City, he said, is really intent on clearing the rivers and creeks.
“Otherwise, this is another disaster waiting to happen,” he said while viewing the photos of several houses that encroached into the rivers taken by his staff.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 7, 2006 issue)
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