BAGUIO CITY – The city government is preparing the short-term comprehensive master development plan of the city in preparation to its growing population and the need for more drainages that will the excess volume of water being discharged in the city’s roads and waterways.
City Engineer Edgar Victorio Olpindo said that the 5-year comprehensive master development plan of the city’s drainage system the basis for policy- and decision-makers to provide the required funds for the implementation of the programmed projects that will improve the existing city drainage system to prevent the perennial flooding in the different parts of the city.
Earlier, the local legislative body directed the City Engineering Office to prepare a short-term comprehensive master development plan of the city’s drainage system to help in efforts to lessen the perennial flooding right within the central business district area and in the different low-lying barangays of the city.
The city engineer explained that the ongoing declogging of the city’s drainage system is part of their maintenance efforts while the put up of new and additional drainages in the different parts of the city are part of their programmed projects that are integral parts of the comprehensive master development plan to be submitted to incoming policy- and decision-makers.
“We appeal for understanding from the motorists and the general public on the ongoing works on our existing drainage systems to unclog these to serve their purpose and reduce flooding in the central business district,” Olpindo stressed.
According to him, coordination work is underway with the technical personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways–Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO) and the Baguio Water District (BWD) to synchronize their efforts in improving the status of the city’s drainage system as part of the drainage system is under the jurisdiction of the DPWH-BCDEO.
Aside from the preparation of a short-term development plan for the city’s drainage system, he reported that works are also underway for the preparation of a medium and long-term development plan that will identify potential projects to contribute in improving the current state of the city’s drainage system to lessen the flooding incidents in various parts of the city, especially when there are heavy and continuous rains.
What is important, according to the city official, is the identification of the priority projects while the sourcing out of funds will be the next step to be undertaken by the incoming set of city officials to jumpstart the implementation of programmed works in the development plan to address the flooding problems of the city.
By Dexter A. See
Banner photo by Armando M. Bolislis