A solution to the City Camp lagoon flooding
>> Tuesday, August 14, 2012
BEHIND THE SCENES
Alfred P.Dizon
BAGUIO CITY -- Despite repeated de-clogging activities by the city
government to prevent flooding at the City Camp Lagoon, Typhoon Gener once more
proved the problem is not over.
Every year, hundreds of families have to relocate to escape the
flooding during storms in the area. The city government earlier installed a
drainage system which somehow eased the flooding, but then, garbage always
clogged the water exit blocking water flow.
This had been a perennial problem of the city government. In this
light, Councilor Peter C. Fianza last Monday filed with the city council two
proposed legislative measures offering measures that might solve the
problem.
A report by Briccio Domondon, city council information officer
said Fianza’s first proposal was a resolution recommending a coordinated study
on all waterways leading to the lagoon for rerouting to another waterway.
In his explanation, Fianza noted that large volumes of water from
Quezon Hill, Dominican Hill and from other elevated areas contributed to flooding of the lagoon, and waterways leading
to the lagoon appear dangerous because they are too narrow to accommodate
volume of water channeled through it from elevated areas.
He believes waters flowing into the lagoon from elevated areas can
be channeled to other waterways and need not pass through the lagoon.
Besides, he said, “a more positive approach focused on preventing
the perennial flooding at the lagoon is needed and will have to be adapted
taking into consideration climate change predictions of extreme and radical
events such as floods occurring more frequently and more severely. There is now
a need for the city to also consider an integrated and comprehensive drainage
system in all areas of the city.”
He cited the tremendous amount of damage caused by Hurricane
Katrina which could have been avoided substantially if the affected states had
such intricate flood control system as the Netherlands.
His second legislative proposal was an ordinance that would direct
installation of water level measuring markers in rivers, major waterways, at
the lagoon and other usually flooded areas in the city and the appropriation of
funds for the purpose.
Fianza said that the city was recently provided with an automated
rain gauge (ARG) and a mechanical or manually operated rain gauge,
complementing other rain gauges already installed in the city, in line with
project NOAH or the National Operational Assessment of Hazards launched by the
Department of Science and Technology to put in place a responsive program for
disaster prevention and mitigation, and providing a six hour lead-time warning
to vulnerable communities against impending floods.
However, for local impact or use of the readings or data supplied
by these rain gauges, Fianza suggested that water level monitoring stations
(WLMS) will have to be established in the city to have accurate records of
water levels that validate analysis and interpretation of recorded rainfall.
“Unfortunately, project NOAH has prioritized establishment of
monitoring stations in the major river basins of the country leaving the city
to find ways and means to gather needed interpretative data relative to the use
or value of recorded rainfall in the locality”, he said.
Thus to start with, he said, “there is a need to place or install
measuring markers in waterways and in usually flooded areas like the City Camp
Lagoon, with the end in view of using these markers as references making
recording easier and more accurate.
Both of these legislative proposals have been referred to the city
council’s committee on environment for study and recommendation.
1 comments:
MONEY,MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY AND AGAIN MONEY FOR THE CITY CAMP DRAINAGE BUT " STILL SAME PROCEDURE EVERY YEAR IN BASURA CITY."
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