Rama wants retarding basins to solve flooding

Cebu CIty Mayor Michael Rama said he wanted to require buildings to have water catchments to ease  Cebu City’s flooding problems after Monday’s downpour triggered another episode of urban flooding in the North Reclamation Area.

Rama said he also  brought up the idea of constructing a retarding basin to Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson during his recent visit to Manila, hoping the DPWH would find a way to fund it.

Rama met with Hans Sy of SM about the project as well since he wants these basins installed in  Block 27, a city-owned property in NRA.

The space above the basins can be made into a park that can double as  an evacuation area, he said.

Mayor Rama said he also wants  all building owners to construct underground cisterns to store rainwater.

The area near SM City Cebu and other commercial buildings near the waterfront were affected by  knee-deep flooding after one to two hours of heavy rain in the afternoon of  July 27 as President

Aquino was giving his State of the Nation Address in Quezon City.

During last Monday’s heavy rainfall, two landslides  occured   in the mountain barangay of Malubog.

A Gmelina tree fell and hit the house of Dominador Bunghanoy in sitoi Pili.

No one was injured.

The body of a 45-year-old man was fished out of the Mahiga Creek in Cebu City  a day after the heavy rain.

Victor Madahiton was last seen crossing a bridge in barangay Kasambagan.

His wife who identified the fatality, said she believes her spouse fell into the river after a  drinking session with friends.

In barangay Casuntingan, Mandaue City, five  households by the river  or  26 individuals  were displaced, said Disaster Officer Felix Suico.

The families, who asked  for help, were rescued and  brought to an elevated  site a few meters away. Sackcloth  tents serve as the evacuation center.

Suico said they are also monitoring five families in barangay Paknaan whose houses are located in flood-prone area.

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