Tuesday, March 04, 2008 Rama orders clearing of obstructions to give way to P5M drainage project
CEBU City Vice Mayor Michael Rama ordered the removal of all obstructions on the sidewalk along three major roads at the Carbon public market area to give way to the P5-million drainage project.
Rama visited the vendors and establishment owners along M.C. Briones St., D. Jakosalem St. and M.L. Quezon St. yesterday and appealed for their cooperation.
Besides, he said, the project would be for the good of the downtown area residents and those doing business there, particularly around the City Hall complex.
The drainage project would address the perennial problem on flooding and sanitation in downtown Cebu City.
Rama said removing all the structures on the gutters and sidewalks would also widen the roads near Carbon and ease traffic flow there.
Badly needed
“The drainage construction will affect portions of the gutter and sidewalks where structures and extensions of buildings stand. I told the vendors and they have to move out temporarily because the drainage is badly needed in the area. How can the heavy equipment move if they are there?” he told reporters yesterday.
Rama said most of the structures are illegal and should not be on the sidewalks, such as houses and unauthorized extension of commercial buildings and retail shops.
City Hall hopes to finish the drainage project in the next couple of months since the completion of the landscaping of the Legislative Building grounds would be dependent on the drainage system.
The laying down of culverts will start in D. Jakosalem, to continue in M.C. Briones and exit to the sea near Quezon St. in Barangay Ermita.
“We will remove any obstruction in the area where the drainage will be constructed so the sidewalk can be used. The vendors’ association have already been consulted and they agreed, so we just need to have the political will to do this if they refuse to vacate,” Rama added. (LCR)
