Monday, April 07, 2008 Dumaguete river 2nd dirtiest in Negros Oriental By Victor Camion
THE Banica river in Dumaguete City is the second dirtiest river in the whole province of Negros Oriental, according to a recent study.
In a research done by Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), Central Visayas, they found out that Banica has 9 million contaminations of coliform, second only to Tamagong river in Sta. Catalina with 24 million MPN/100 ml contamination.
Sipocong river in Bais, same with Banica, came in second with 9 million contamination. Tanjay river and Ocoy river tied in the third spot with 2,400 total coliform contaminations.
Mercy Teves of the Environment and Natural Resources Management Division (ENRMD) in Negros Oriental said the study was done in cooperation with the German Technical Services (GTZ).
Of the 13 sampling sites, research shows that Guihulngan river has the lowest coliform contamination level with 2,300 MPN/100 ml, Teves added.
"Based on the data collected between 1995 to 2004, 95% of the sampling sites along the Negros Oriental rivers, have reached such a high degree of total coliform contamination, that only a classification according to the worst possible DENR water quality (Class D) would be applicable," Antonio Cabrido, Chief of Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) said in a Kapihan forum conducted by Philippine Information Agency (PIA) last Friday.
The forum, held at Bethel Guest House, was conducted in connection with the celebration of the Philippine Earth Day with the banner "Tubig ay Buhay, Ating Pagyamanin at Linisin.
Cabrido stressed that data shows not even one sampling station in the province could qualify for Class B especially in terms of microbiological contamination.
It also shows high fecal coliform contamination (directly derived from human or animal waste) from all 13 sampling sites which are way beyond Class B water quality standards.
In the same records, Tamogong river again has the highest fecal coliform with 9 million MPN/100 ml.
It was followed by Banica river with 2,400,000; Pagatban and La Libertad with 1,300,000; Tanjay with 540,000; and Ocoy with 240,000.
"A gram of human feces has 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, one thousand parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs," a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) official said, explaining that humans and animals are not safe in these rivers as they may also contribute to the water-borne diseases.
Data questioned
However, Engineer Josephine Antonio, Chief of the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) in Dumaguete, questioned the research data done by Penro.
She understood the basis of the data and expressed credibility on the team who conducted the study but she asked the specific sampling site in Banica river where they picked samples and the specific date of the study.
She admitted that on or before 1995 to 1998, the lower part of the river, particularly the boundaries along Sitio Tinago, Barangay Poblacion 1 and Sitio Canday-ong, Barangay Calindagan was contaminated due to the presence of a slaughterhouse.
The slaughterhouse was first located in Lower Luke Wright, Barangay Poblacion 1, but was transferred to Barangay Bajumpandan in 1999. It was awarded a double A for three consecutive years.
The city has led some non-government organizations to rehabilitate Banica river, however, the controlled dumpsite in Barangay Candau-ay may have contribute the contamination of the river, she admitted.
The data is not believable unless the team showed her the specific sampling sites and the exact date of the study was conducted, she stressed.
The people reacted on the statement made Antonio saying that the date is discouraging in the part of the Dumagueteños who worked to save the river.
Cabrido of Penro admitted that he was just using the data from the EMB 7. He maintained the result of the research is reliable since it was conducted in cooperation with GTZ, a foreign research outfit.
He added however that, "What is important is what we will do to save the waters."
