QUARRYING OPERATORS PUPULUNGIN NG DENR

POSIBLENG pulungin ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) sa mga susunod na araw ang pitong quarrying operators upang tiyaking hindi ang kanilang mga aktibidad ang pangunahing sanhi ng pagragasa ng matinding tubig-baha at landslides mula sa mga kabundukan ng Antipolo at ilang bayan sa lalawigan ng Rizal sa kasagsagan ng pananalasa ng bagyong Enteng noong Setyembre 2.

Ito ang isiniwalat ni DENR Undersecretary for Integrated Environmental Science, Dr. Carlos Primo David sa isang press conference noong Huwebes matapos igiit na isang porsiyento lamang ng kabuuang laki ng mga kabundukan sa naturang lalawigan ang ginagamit ng quarrying operators para sa mga kinakailangang graba ng industriya ng construction.

Sinabi rin niya na posibleng patulungin din ang mga quarrying operator sa rehabilitasyon, reforestation at flood mitigation efforts ng ahensiya upang mapangalagaan ang mga kabundukan sa lalawigan ng Rizal at ang upper at lower Marikina watersheds, at ang kaligtasan ng mga residente dito.

Aniya, dapat ay mas matuwa ang mga tao kapag maraming ulan dahil namomroblema ang bansa tuwing tagtuyot.

Isa rin sa itinuturo niyang dahilan ng matinding pagbaha ang mas maraming ibinabagsak na tubig ulan ngayon kaysa dati dahil sa climate change.

“Samantalang sa Middle East or sa Africa ay gusto nila magkaroon ng tubig, tayo naman ay nagko-complain na masyado. Pero ‘pag dry season, sasabihin natin sobrang kaunti ng tubig,” sabi ni David.

“Climate change has made our weather system to have more rains. And even less rain during the dry season,” paliwanag ni David. Inihayag niya ang iba pang posibleng dahilan ng rumaragasang tubig, lalo na sa kabundukan ng lalawigan ng Rizal.

”First, duration of the rain. Second , land cover. Depending on what use we are doing for the land contributes to whether that rain is converted into flood or it permeates into the ground. Sana nga forest lahat. In a forest cover, it can sip almost 90 percent of the rain that falls,” sabi niya.

“Kapag build up area or quarry, 90 percent can be converted into run off water or floodwaters. Third, we should ensure that our waterways are free of constrictions or free of silt that makes it shallower. Definitely, when we build structures along rivers, we will have to look at what is the effect of that downstream.

And then eventually, everytime that we put dikes upstream, we will protect the communities adjacent to it. But you actually intensify the flooding. So anong solusyon diyan? Right way to river. Kailangan tataasan mo ang mga dike mo further downstream. The efforts of DENR, number 1 is reforest the Marikina watershed which has complete control over that land that may take place within the next four years,” dagdag pa niya.

Aniya, nakikipag-ugnayan na rin ang DENR para sa kolaborasyon ng rehabilitation, reforestation at iba pang hakbang tungkol dito, kabilang ang planong pagsasagawa ng mas maraming impounding area na sasalo sa tubig ulan upang maiwasan ang baha kapag maulan at magagamit din sa tagtuyot.

“That’s the strategy. And we are no longer doing it alone as DENR. Because we have solicited the partnership of other government agencies, private sector, LGUs. Second, we promote the restoration of the rivers and also impoundments. We also want to promote small water impoundments as flood control measures as well as facilities for water supply. Kasi after nitong mga bagyo bagyo na ito, next year pag- uusapan naman natin ang kakulangan ng tubig na naman, so paikot-ikot lang. E a few months lang from today sobra naman ang tubig natin. Why do we need impounding solve both flooding and the drought condition during the crisis. Finally, to more efforts of the DENR, we will talk to the quarry operators, to make sure that they are not contributing to flooding, to the local flooding. Perhaps, create programs to mitigate and not contribute to flooding, including making them part of reforestation efforts in Marikina watershed area,” sabi ni David.

Ma . Luisa Macabuhay-Garcia