Creating flood control boundaries: safety or risk
by: Rezza Mae B Tolinero
Wrath of Sendong is not yet done.
In December 2011, Tropical storm Sendong has taken 1,268 lives plus 181 still missing, affected 131,618 families and totally damaged 13, 585 houses according to Citizens’ Disaster Response Center (CDRC). Almost three years have passed but the fear of second Sendong still haunts the thoughts of the residents and knocks the concerns of the government.
Project, Plans, Progress
Sendong having the worst touch-down experience in the city, a flood control project became the solution to prevent another flash flood. Floodwalls will emerge in the years to come along the Cagayan River which will force riverside settlers to relocate and start anew. Thousands of families will be affected, fifteen barangays are involved and one project will be established— the Flood Risk Management Project for Cagayan de Oro River or the FRIMP-CDOR.
Also known as the Mega dike project, FRIMP-CDOR is a scheme which the government has established in order to mitigate the areas considered as flood risks in the city and protect lives and properties against major floods and other calamities. Expected to be completed by March 2022, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) now instigates the Php 8 billion worth flood control project. Located along the banks of the Cagayan River, this project is proposed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as part of their contribution to the city after Sendong’s devastation reached global audience in 2011.
The 12-kilometer flood-protection structure will affect the areas of Bonbon, Kauswagan, Carmen, Balulang, Consolacion, Nazareth, Macasandig, Barangays 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 13, 15, and 17; which will encompass buildings which are 949 residential, 117 private and 62 public. These are areas nestled beside the river stretching from Macajalar Bay to the Pelaez Bridge. DPWH markers are now apparent in the affected areas, also referred as the “No-build Zone.” These zones are measured by JICA based on where the floodwaters reached during the aftermath of Sendong.
Moreover, structural measures of preventing flood also include the construction of new Road and raising of existing road for evacuation, improvement of Kagayan Bridge approach, construction of retarding basin and maintenance dredging.
Risks of Living, Risks of Leaving
The FRIMP-CDOR having a design scale of 25-year flood is identified to be ideal for floods with intensities such of Tropical storm Pablo. However, flood intensities leveling the tropical storm Sendong requires 50-year flood design scale. This means that when tropical storms identical to Sendong hit the city, the dikes may still overflow – making the people’s safety still half-baked.
“Uyon ko nga naay project nga mkaprotect sa tao, sama ani; pero gusto ko na among sa sabton kung unsa gyud ang dagan ani bantug among ga-studihan ni kay naa gyu’y mga pangutana na dapat tubagun,” says Dexter Lo, XU Engineering Resource Center (ERC)director.
With this, a study is being conducted by the fifth year XU Civil Engineering students entitled, “Deterministic Flood Inundation Mapping along the proposed dike system of the Cagayan de Oro River: the Sendong Scale Flood”. This project aims to delve deeper on the capacity of the dike regarding to the volume of water it can hold. Aside from that, it seeks to find out what which part of the river built with dikes would possibly still overflow when typhoons as strong as the Sendong occurs.
According to Carl Ammiel P. Lapure, one of the proponents of the study, it would be best if a dam is also created as a second part of the flood control project. Dams can be used to regulate river level through the temporarily storing the flood volume and releasing it afterwards. He says that having a dam will provide the people with security even in the midst of another Sendong.
Since dikes are not enough to ensure safety, non-structural measures are also being prepared by the government. It includes the preparation and update of flood hazard map with evacuation planning, Community Based Flood Early Warning System (CBFEWS), information campaign and publicity for the project.
Sight for relocation site
“As of now, we already have five units (for five families) available for transfer. Pero kung mahuman na among ongoing projects, then we can assess to it already,” states Ramon Medrozo, the community relations officer of the NHA.
Having the quantity far beyond from the needed houses, Medrozo explains that this is because there are still more priority projects of NHA that are lined-up. These include those families whose houses are totally washed-out. According to him, “Kanang sa megadike (project) na affected families, dili na sila with totally washed-out houses kay partially damaged ra na sila. In short, second priority ra na sila sauna pero karon priority na sila tungod kay kinahanglan na sa gobyerno.”
Junito S. Legaspi, a resident of Consolacion (one of the barangays affected by the project) and a father of five children, says that living beside the river makes his actual living since his Sand and gravel Manual Quarry depends on it. Now, he is still in the hopes that the project will exclude their community especially that a comfortable relocation site where he can earn is not promising.
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It takes long floodwalls to stretch in order to assure the safety of the Kagay-anons. This project may be a firm solution to prevent further disasters from endangering the lives of citizens, but it also results to varied reactions as there are people in the affected areas apprehensive on moving elsewhere. Regardless of the government’s plans for their relocation, the people might face another tragedy. If Sendong took their homes in the past year, now it is the governments turn to take it; but this time with their lives ensured.
Sources:
http://www.cdodev.com/2013/11/20/project-watch-cagayan-de-oro-mega-dike-project-update/ (PROJECT WATCH: Cagayan de Oro Mega Dike project update)
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/11/04/p8-b-flood-control-plan-okayed-in-cdo/
(P8-b flood-control plan okayed in CDO)
https://www.gfdrr.org/sites/gfdrr/files/EAP_Session%202_Part%201_Asec%20Cabral%20DPWH%20Resiliency%20Program.pdf (DPWH FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENTAND RESILIENCY PROGRAM)
http://www.icold-cigb.org/GB/Dams/role_of_dams.asp (Role of Dams)
