ZAMBOANGA CITY — The City Engineer’s Office recorded more than PhP15 million worth of infrastructures have been damaged by the recent flashflood and storm surge in this city.
Flashflood and storm surge spawned by intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and the entry of typhoon Paolo in the country inundated last week 23 of this city’s 98 barangays.
Christopher Navarro, officer-in-charge of the City Engineer’s Office, on Monday disclosed that most of the damaged infrastructures are slope protection, spillway and cross drain.
Navarro said they will redesign the structure of slope protection to make it weather resilient to prevent similar destruction in the future.
He said they will also tap the assistance of the barangay officials to disallow people from building houses along riverbanks.
“The purpose of the slope protection is to protect soil erosion. The presence of riverbank dwellers affect the integrity of the slope protection structures due to improper waste water disposal,” he said.
Navarro said riverbank dwellers are vulnerable to flashflood in times of inclement weather condition. (PNA)
