Over 600 tons of trash hauled in Metro

MANILA, Philippines — Over 600 tons of garbage have been hauled after monsoon rains flooded Metro Manila.

From July 18 to 22, authorities removed 526.8 tons of trash from 71 pumping stations, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

About 26.37 truckloads or 76.923 tons of garbage were collected amid cleanup operations since Monday.

At the flood-prone areas of G. Araneta Avenue and Maria Clara street in Quezon City, 39.49 cubic meters of waste, most of which were wooden scraps and plastic, were loaded into 10 dump trucks.

At the MMDA’s pumping station near Pasay’s Estero de Tripa de Gallina, sanitation workers hauled old furniture, broken refrigerators, wheels and trunks of fallen trees.

“When plastics are sucked into the pump, they get coiled in the engine, resulting in overheating. The efficiency of our pumping stations is affected and could result in damaged equipment,” MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said yesterday during an inspection.

Artes also inspected the Batasan station of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 along Commonwealth Avenue, where floods led to traffic congestion.

Manila Bay rehab

Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno has vowed full compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling of discharging clean wastewater into Manila Bay as part of its rehabilitation.

Moreno appealed to the government for more sewage treatment plants, particularly at the Baseco and Parola compounds in Tondo.

The facility along Roxas Boulevard, constructed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Public Works and Highways, complied with the high court’s order on Manila Bay’s restoration, Moreno said.

Amid last week’s floods, authorities had to open one of three drainage outfalls that were blocked, to redirect wastewater into the treatment plant.

“The long-term solution is to create more sewage treatment plants,” Moreno said.

Solving floods

Solutions to flooding should be tailored to the needs of each city in Metro Manila, San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora told The STAR yesterday.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution in terms of the 17 local government units (LGUs),” Zamora said.

Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian has attributed the flooding to outdated canals that cannot handle heavy rainfall.

Gatchalian plans to hire a third-party expert to revisit the city’s drainage plan.

La Mesa Dam overflow

Meanwhile, critical emergency measures should be implemented by LGUs in Metro Manila after the La Mesa Dam overflowed on Tuesday, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The overflow threatened low-lying areas along Tullahan River, affecting Quezon City, Valenzuela, Malabon, Caloocan and Navotas, putting 2,722 families or 12,946 people in 24 barangays at risk. –  EJ Macababbad, Emmanuel Tupas