With the flooding incidents that took place in the previous year, the Davao City Engineer’s Office (CEO) proposed several short-term and long-term solutions for the recurring problem in the city.
Atty. Joseph Dominic Felizarta, officer-in-charge of the CEO, said in an interview with the City Information Office that the major cause of the flooding in the city was the heavy rainfall, which led to water runoff from the mountains as well as clogged drainage systems caused by garbage, debris, and other materials.
To address this issue, the CEO came up with multiple short and long-term solutions, including the improvement of drainage systems and the establishment of retarding ponds in upstream or highland areas.
“I-anticipate nato daan, nga before mag-ulan og kusog, kinahanglan hinlo ang atoang river ug mga creeks para diretso-diretso lang ang dagan sa tubig, labi na nang mga dinagko na, kanang mga sapa na gyud, river na gyud ug creeks nga naga overflow tungod sa kakusog, magbuhat sad ta og extension sa atoang mga flood protection, mga gabions iextend nato og mga 1 to 1.5 meters para dili mugawas ang tubig, nakaconfine nalang siya sa creeks ug rivers [Even before heavy rainfall, we have to make sure that our rivers and creeks are clean so that the water can flow freely. For the bigger waterways and drainage systems like rivers and creeks that overflow due to the intensity of the flooding, we must upgrade the infrastructure by extending the gabions to around 1 to 1.5 meters to contain the water inside them],” Felizarta said.
The CEO has conducted desilting operations to remove obstructions along waterways. It also installed additional inlets in specific areas.
A comprehensive inventory of the city’s drainage system is also underway. According to the CEO’s report, its current focus is in the urban areas with notable progress in the Poblacion District.
Felizarta also emphasized the importance of the establishment of retarding ponds or detention ponds as a long-term solution to mitigate the flooding in the city.
“Sa mga long-term solution, naa mi nakita nga kailangan na gyud nato og mga detention pond nga in the meantime kung kusog kaayo’ng baha, atoang idivert ang tubig didto sa detention pond [For the long term solution, we saw the need for the establishment of detention ponds where, in the event of heavy flooding, we will divert the water to the detention pond to avoid flooding in downstream areas],” he explained.
The retarding ponds will serve as a temporary storage for the excess water runoff from the upstream during heavy rainfall before gradually releasing it to prevent downstream flooding.
According to Felizarta, after calculating the catchment areas, they found that the Talomo area needs 10 detention ponds, depending on the sizes.
They have already drafted a letter addressed to barangay captains enjoining them to identify locations for the detention ponds since they are more familiar with their barangays.
Felizarta also urged Dabawenyos, especially the barangay officials, to help the city in conducting flood-mitigation initiatives including proper waste disposal and maintenance of the drainage systems. CIO
