City Council declares landfill under calamity

CEBU, Philippines -  The Cebu City Council yesterday declared the Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Inayawan under a state of calamity due to the absence of proper waste water and sludge treatment facility which is deemed hazardous to the health of the nearby communities and those near the coastal waters.

City Councilors Nida Cabrera and Edu Rama jointly proposed the resolution declaring the facility under a calamity status so the city may have access to the Quick Response Fund equivalent to P52 million so far under the recently approved Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund.

The two councilors, who have always been in the forefront in the implementation of the solid waste management laws, plans to use the QRF for the construction of waste water, leachate and sludge treatment facility, rental of heavy equipment and other equipment for the Material Recovery Facility.

“The construction of the necessary wastewater facility will improve the quality of water to category C, which is in compliance with Republic Act 9275 (Philippine Clean Water Act),” the resolution reads.

The construction of a wastewater facility in Inayawan has been mandated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources which gave the city until July to improve the quality of water from the landfill.

DENR report shows that the Biological Oxygen Demand of the wastewater discharge is way above the standard level.

High BOD indicates the presence of numerous bacteria working to decompose the organic waste in the water.

At the onset of the rainy season this year, landfill officials fear that the leachate will overflow and leaks to the coastal water, like in the Mactan Channel putting all living things in the area in danger. — (FREEMAN)