Special permit to desilt Carmen rivers coming

CEBU, Philippines — In the coming days, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is expected to issue a special permit to desilt the Mangitngit and Luyang rivers in Carmen town and eventually maximize the water production of these water sources.

According to Sugbo News, the two rivers supply 35 million liters of water daily to Metro Cebu through the Metropolitan Cebu Water District MCWD. But reports have reached the governor that the Luyang River is drying up due to the El Niño phenomenon, and its supply might dwindle in the coming weeks.

In a meeting with Engr. Mary Ann Bueno of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the governor learned that Carmen’s rivers are still able to deliver the expected 35 million liters of water daily, but due to the prolonged drought, measures must be made to maximize water production.

One way is by clearing the river bed of obstructions such as boulders and silt.

“Ang Luyang, kusog g’yud gihapon na siya in normal times. Unya karon, tan-aw nato tungod lang siguro sa profile sa iyang river mao na nga nagpundo-pundo siya, unya wala kaayo siya ma-maximize,” said Engr. Rey Marinas, chief of the provincial waterworks division.

“So after sa gihimo ni gov nga meeting, siguro kung ma-implement na nato iyang gipabuhat is ma-maximize nato ang flow sa Luyang,” he added.

With the issuance of the special permit, the governor emphasized the need to protect the rivers’ ecosystem while improving their capacity to supply water to the community.

Sugbo News added that the special permit that will be issued will come with guidelines to ensure that the desilting process is done in an environmentally-friendly manner. (CEBU NEWS)