Post by L Roebuck on Oct 24, 2005 5:50:28 GMT -5
Monday, October 24, 2005
Leave sinkhole areas alone: environment
ALL areas in Baguio City where natural drainage systems and sinkholes are situated must be left untouched as these are unstable and unsound, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DER-MGB) regional office advised residents here.
"It is the stand of our Office to leave all natural drainage systems including sinkholes open and should never be opened to any building construction or residential purposes due to the risk involved since these are considered as geologically unstable area," MGB Regional Director Neoman dela Cruz said in a letter to Mayor Braulio Yaranon.
The mayor in turn advised the public to take heed of the advice to avoid having to risk their lives and properties by taking chances on these geologically critical areas.
The mayor also alerted the offices of the City Environment and Parks Management, City Building and Architecture and Engineer against issuing any permit for building and development on these areas.
Benjie Espejo of the MGB Geology Division said there are barangays in the city that have been identified as critical areas because these lie on limestone rock formation, which is an unstable base susceptible to both physical and chemical weathering and deformation.
The barangays, which include Dominican Hill, Crystal Cave, Irisan, the whole City Camp Lagoon area, Quezon Hill and Buyog watershed, including Dreamland Subdivision, are pockmarked by sinkholes and natural drainage holes that are believed to be interconnected with the main natural underground drainage system at City Camp Lagoon that drains towards the Crystal Cave area.
The natural holes are normally underlain by highly fractured and weathered limestone formation that if disturbed would weather out.
"Generally, areas underlain by limestone formation normally exhibit karstic topography where underground structures like caves, river channels, voids, sinkholes and crevasses cannot be discounted," supervising geologist Elias Nacario noted in his report on the investigation conducted on a disputed sinkhole at Lourdes Proper barangay.
Nacario said the sinkhole serves as a natural drainage outlet of the surface run-off within the upper areas and partly as an outlet of one of the constructed drainage systems in the barangay.
"In as much as the location of the sinkhole is within a public land, it is strongly recommended that the area be maintained as an open space and that the sinkhole be maintained as a natural drainage system to cater to the surface run-off within the area and vicinity," Nacario noted in the report to dela Cruz.
Nacario's report prompted the MGB to reiterate its stand on said issue. (Aileen Refuerzo)
Sunstar.com
www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bag/2005/10/24/news/leave.sinkhole.areas.alone.environment.html
Leave sinkhole areas alone: environment
ALL areas in Baguio City where natural drainage systems and sinkholes are situated must be left untouched as these are unstable and unsound, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DER-MGB) regional office advised residents here.
"It is the stand of our Office to leave all natural drainage systems including sinkholes open and should never be opened to any building construction or residential purposes due to the risk involved since these are considered as geologically unstable area," MGB Regional Director Neoman dela Cruz said in a letter to Mayor Braulio Yaranon.
The mayor in turn advised the public to take heed of the advice to avoid having to risk their lives and properties by taking chances on these geologically critical areas.
The mayor also alerted the offices of the City Environment and Parks Management, City Building and Architecture and Engineer against issuing any permit for building and development on these areas.
Benjie Espejo of the MGB Geology Division said there are barangays in the city that have been identified as critical areas because these lie on limestone rock formation, which is an unstable base susceptible to both physical and chemical weathering and deformation.
The barangays, which include Dominican Hill, Crystal Cave, Irisan, the whole City Camp Lagoon area, Quezon Hill and Buyog watershed, including Dreamland Subdivision, are pockmarked by sinkholes and natural drainage holes that are believed to be interconnected with the main natural underground drainage system at City Camp Lagoon that drains towards the Crystal Cave area.
The natural holes are normally underlain by highly fractured and weathered limestone formation that if disturbed would weather out.
"Generally, areas underlain by limestone formation normally exhibit karstic topography where underground structures like caves, river channels, voids, sinkholes and crevasses cannot be discounted," supervising geologist Elias Nacario noted in his report on the investigation conducted on a disputed sinkhole at Lourdes Proper barangay.
Nacario said the sinkhole serves as a natural drainage outlet of the surface run-off within the upper areas and partly as an outlet of one of the constructed drainage systems in the barangay.
"In as much as the location of the sinkhole is within a public land, it is strongly recommended that the area be maintained as an open space and that the sinkhole be maintained as a natural drainage system to cater to the surface run-off within the area and vicinity," Nacario noted in the report to dela Cruz.
Nacario's report prompted the MGB to reiterate its stand on said issue. (Aileen Refuerzo)
Sunstar.com
www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bag/2005/10/24/news/leave.sinkhole.areas.alone.environment.html