BACOLOD City Lone District Representative Greg Gasataya Friday said he already asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to fast-track the implementation of additional drainage projects particularly in flooded areas near the Hi-Strip, Circumferential Road in Magsaysay Street and at the City Mall in Barangay Mandalagan, Bacolod City.

He said the banning imposed in the implementation of government funded projects made it harder for them to easily address the flooding problem.

But as soon as the banning is lifted, the DPWH will definitely hit the ground running insofar as the resumption of the implementation of the various projects in the city, he said.

The flooding at Lacson Street was caused by the lack of inlets that would connect the new drainage to the old ones.

The congressman appealed to the public to have their share in responsibly disposing their garbage so as to help reduce the clogging of the drainage system.

Several areas in Bacolod City experienced flooding last Thursday following heavy rains caused by a localized thunderstorm.

City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) officer-in-charge, Dondon Parandas, said barangays 12 and 8 were affected by flooding which took at least an hour before it subsided.

The areas along Libertad, Palanca Street, Magsaysay-Araneta Streets, Circumferential Road and some areas along Lacson Street also reported flooding.

It was noted that some areas also reported hip-level floods.

He added they will conduct further declogging operations in the city, as the floods were caused by garbage that has clogged up the drainage systems.