The head of the Ancillary Service Unit (ASU) pointed to the construction of infrastructure projects as partly responsible for the recent floods experienced by the city since the start of the month.
Paul Previldo E. Bermejo said they already they prepared for the onset of the rainy season by declogging the street canals but that didn’t prevent the floodwaters to rise.
“I am really confused. Before the rainy season and even until now we have constantly declogged canals already. However, it appears that flooding even became worse. Almost all areas, not just those identified as flooded areas, are affected,” he said.
He said that the floods might be a result of the contractors using the drainage system to dispose of their tailings. “We observed that the construction of government projects and even private buildings are among the probable cause of flooding,” he said.
“They couldn’t pave their floorings if it is not yet drained with water. The water they draw would be usually directed to our city’s drainage system causing it to be clogged with water mixed with mud,” he added.
Bermejo also said this is not the first time they noted the same activity, which caused flooding in the city.
“We have long identified this probable cause of flooding in these areas. In fact, in Barangay Bago Aplaya, they once lobbied a complaint against a Chinese businessman who clogged the waterways with mud that caused flooding in their community,” he said.
However, the local government has not yet identified any contractors that might have clogged the drainage due to improper disposal of construction waste.
“We are still discussing our action. The appropriate offices of the local government unit must intensify the inspection of these constructions and file appropriate charges if we could identify lapses,” he said.
Meanwhile, the City Disaster Reduction Management Council is also formulating mitigating measures in the short-term, mid-term and long-term, to address the floods and other natural disasters in Davao City.
