Flood Solution? Watch Your Actions

By Alni Emphasis

Flooding in Cebu City, especially in downtown and in reclaimed areas can hardly be stopped. With the fast development of infrastructures, buildings and subdivisions, it would be hard to solve the problem, especially when its own citizens do not cooperate.

Desperate to know about the causes of flooding, I went to the Drainage Section of Cebu City hall and asked about my concerns. They say floods usually arise because of some clogged drainage along the streets which traps the passage of the waters to flow.

According to them, most of the trashes which clogged the drainage are mostly plastics.  These plastics are the ones we commonly litter anywhere. These are the plastics just ignore but actually cause us to suffer in return.

                Imagine, if one person throws a trash or a plastic in the streets even just once per day, how many plastics will be accumulated then? With the population of nearly 2.5 million in Cebu City how many plastics we could possibly imagine trapping the passage ways of water so as to prevent floods?

                The government has its duty to provide services which would benefit the general public. This duty includes dredging the rivers--- giving more rooms for quick outflow of water, implementing proper segregation and disposal of waste--- avoiding accumulation of trashes in drainage areas which clogs the outflow of water, regulating the cutting of trees and promoting replantation--- restoring the water-sippers which grabs hold of the waters during rains, regulating the booming construction of subdivisions---- leaving lesser place for the waters to permeate into the soil.

                These are some which the government has to perform for the betterment of our society and for the benefit of its citizens. However, these projects would also seem useless if its citizens don’t do their part, as well.

                If every citizen in Cebu City hates a comeback of another destructive flood during heavy rains then each of them should also take an action. It need not be big or something very heroic but little acts already count!

                We can’t do anything about the booming existence and rapid construction of big industries, well-known businesses and big time companies which rule this modern society, unless the government takes the step to grab a hold and regulate them.

However, my point is, as citizens, we also have something big to contribute. We might not notice it but we play big role in preventing floods by being responsible in our trashes and in our actions. We might as well encourage others to stop littering and cutting trees which only cause danger to us when nature does it vengeance.

Easy to say but hard to do. Yes, it’s true. But taking action than doing nothing is always better.