Water hyacinths aggravating Cotabato City flood problem

source: gmanews

Cotabato City and other provinces in southern Philippines are experiencing its worst flooding in years, but authorities are not blaming it on the usual trash-filled drainages or poor flood-control projects. They are blaming it instead on water hyacinths.

“This is the worst flooding we had in years. Hindi na nawawala ‘yung baha. Konting ulan, babaha. Hindi na makadaan ‘yung tubig papunta sa dagat dahil sa water hyacinths kaya dumadaloy papunta sa mga komunidad," said Myrna Jo Henry, information officer of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

In a phone interview with GMA News Online, Henry said the piling up of these seemingly innocuous aquatic plants at the Rio Grande de Mindanao — the country’s second largest river system — threatens to submerge parts of Cotabato City in six-foot deep floodwaters.

She said the continued accumulation of water hyacinths has forced local officials in Cotabato City and other nearby areas to deploy a backhoe and 300 soldiers to declog the river.

The problem, however, seems to persist since water hyacinths from upstream areas such as Maguindanao and Bukidnon flow downstream to catch basin areas like Cotabato City and Sultan Kudarat.

“Ang advise kahapon tingnan na ang surrounding areas para hindi na umabot dito ang water hyacinths. Kung hindi mapipigilan ito, hindi huhupa ang baha," Henry said.

Henry said she herself has become one of the almost 60,000 individuals affected by the flooding caused by the water hyacinths. “Naging swimming pool na ang bahay namin. Hindi na kami makauwi roon. Bakwit (evacuee) na rin ako," she said.

The National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Wednesday night pegged the number of persons affected by the flooding in nine Mindanao provinces to more than 600,000. About 12,000 of these individuals have been forced to leave their homes due to the steady rise of floodwaters.

‘Pests’

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) considers water hyacinths (scientific name: Eichhornia crassipes Mart Solms) as “pests."

Typical in polluted rivers, these aquatic plants feed upon pollutants and are in full bloom when a body of water is polluted.

These types of plants multiply rapidly and their seeds can remain dormant under water for two decades.

Water hyacinths are distinguished from water lilies by their lavender flowers with yellow spots. Water lilies usually have white flowers which grow on top of circular or oval leaves.

ARMM officials have encouraged residents in flooded areas to use water hyacinths to make bags, baskets and decorative items to help declog the river.

source: gmanews