3,000 tons of stinking post-Odette garbage permeate ‘unbearable’ smell in Barangay Inayawan
Notice of temporary closure can be seen in the Inayawan Transfer Station
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Residents of Barangay Inayawan have raised concerns about the unbearable smell they have been experiencing in the past days.
Gea, whose family lives near Ocampo Drive, told CDN Digital that it has been a few days now that the smell of garbage started to be noticeable.
“Grabe ka baho dri amoa unahan Ocampo Drive. Worry kaayo kay naa mi mga bata dri sa balay. Maayo unta ma aksyonan or naay maka tabang para ma stop kung ga unsa man gane sila sa dumping area or sa private dumpsite,” she said in an online message.
Gea said neighboring sitios also have similar complaints about the smell that seemed to have been carried by the wind in the past days.
Residents in Sitio Laray, one of the farthest sitios of the barangay bordering Talisay City also complained that the smell could already reach their homes.
A resident of White Road, where the transfer station is located, claimed that the smell is from the lots owned by a contractor and another by the family of the previous barangay captain of Inayawan.
“Makasuka na gyod ang baho. Di na mi kakaon og tarong,” said the resident who asked for anonimity.
These private lots have been used by the city government as a transfer station until the Environment Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) issued a cease and desist order for its operations on January 2021.
However, the transfer station was reopened after Typhoon Odette because the city needed a place to dump its garbage when the Binaliw Landfill was inaccessible due to road damages.
The Department of Public Services (DPS) told CDN Digital that there are 3,000 tons of garbage from the clearing of Typhoon Odette that has been left unhauled in the area.
DPS head, Lawyer John Jigo Dacua, said that they recently completed bidding for a purchase order (PO), which was awarded to a third-party contractor, for the hauling of the garbage.
“Katong pag Odette, naa pay nabilin nga mga basura dinha. Karon, naa naman tay PO, mao na atong gipasegurado og kuha. Ato na nang gipahawanan dinha,” he said in a phone interview.
Dacua promised that in a week, they will complete the hauling out of the garbage, but he also assured that as of April 23, 2022, the hauling has started.
“Kasabot ko nga lisod gyod kaayo na dinha nga lugar. Mopromise ko ninyo nga in a week, among paningkamotan nga mahawan gyod na dira nga dili na intawn magsuffer ang mga taga Inayawan,” he said. /rcg
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