ILOILO CITY, April 1 (PNA) -– The Sangguniang Panlungsod here has approved a resolution filed by city councilor RLeone Gerochi in accepting the Iloilo-Batiano River Watershed Water Quality Management Area by Iloilo City and the implementation of its 10-year action plan.
Gerochi is the chairman of the SP committee on environment and an environmental advocate for clean air, anti-pollution, clean river and surroundings.
In a regular session on Tuesday, the city council had asked explanations from city environment and natural resources officer Noel Hechanova to define clearly the action plan on water quality of the connecting Iloilo-Batiano rivers.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), and the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) earlier submitted Oplan: SWIM or the sustainable work plan for the rehabilitation of the Iloilo-Batiano River system and its tributaries, the Dungon and Calajunan creeks.
The work plan aims to improve the water quality of the river and its tributaries in terms of dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and coliform concentrations.
The three-year average water quality of the rivers showed the EMB Class “C” standards fit for human and river life with dissolved oxygen at 5 mg/L, biochemical oxygen demand of 10 mg/L, total coliform of 5,000 MPN/100 ml and with no standards on fecal coliform.
The DENR has already accomplished ongoing activities that cover mangrove rehabilitation, organized clean-up activities, adopt-an-estero program, quarterly clean-up activities, crackdown on discharging establishments, cadastral survey of Calajunan and Dungon creeks, and dredging of the creeks and the Iloilo River. (PNA)
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