Council approves P30 milyon for Lusaran flood control

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has approved a proposal allocating P30 million for the construction of flood control systems -slope protection for the Lusaran River. It is intended to prevent flooding at the nearby public elementary school.

The council approved the measure during it's regular session last Wednesday.

In an interview with The Freeman yesterday, Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the Committee on Infrastructure, said the river sits adjacent to the Lusaran Elementary School, posing a risk of floodings whenever there is a downpour.

Guardo said the river is considered shallow but whenever a heavy downpour occurs, the water level rises. Due to the lack of protection on its side, the water would cascade down to the elementary school.

"Unya ang mga bata naka-experience na sila og knee-deep nga baha ba n'ya high-risk na kaayo ang mga bata. Delikado na kaayo kay duol raman sa eskwelahan. Mao na siyang kinahanglan ning i-protect nga portion," said Guardo.

The allocation approved by the council would only include the protection of one side of the slope, as the other side has already been secured. Guardo categorized the area as hilly, and the most affected area below is the school.

Guardo said the design of the slope is made of sheet piles, which he added are often utilized for flood control. He also mentioned that the budgetary allocation reached P30 million since it includes a long stretch of civil works.

This project, according to Guardo, is a Cebu City-funded flood control project, particularly charged to the Local Development Fund, which is about P800 million.

Flood control projects in Cebu City are currently among the government s priority programs.

Earlier, following a budgetary cut, Guardo also said the City Government is considering to engage in a public-private partnership for the construction of at least four dams in Cebu City as part of anti-flood measures.

He added that during his weekly meeting with the Task Force Gubat sa Baha, four areas were identified where mini dams could be built. He said that this is also in accordance with the recommendations from City Hall consultant, Dr. Danny Jacque. These areas include Budlaan and the upstream of Butuanon River.

Guardo's group has determined that the cause of flooding in the city proper is the runoff water from the upland areas.

Guardo said these four sites, all located in upland areas, were identified as suitable for mini dams, similar to the Buhisan Dam. Guardo said this is different from the current designs of contractors for flood control, which mainly focus on improving rivers and creeks and clearing the terrain where water typically flows.

For Guardo, these measures do not directly address and control the runoff water from upstream, which is crucial in easing the flooding problem in the city proper.

By building a mini dam, Guardo said, it would serve as a rainwater basin and this could be economically utilized as a bulk water supply for the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD).    JG (CEBU NEWS)