Manado, Ekuatorial – After experiencing one of the worst flood for the past decade, academicians urged Manado government to issue an assessment and policy related to water catchment areas which would be able to retain water drastically ran through the city.
Rignolda Djamaludin MS of Manado’s Sam Ratulangi province said that massive development in the ring road areas which were water catchment areas resulted to rivers and drainage were no longer able to contain water.
“As a result, not only floods hit Manado but also mud because of deforested hills which function as water catchment areas. The condition got complicated when rivers and drainage were no longer to contain water surcharge while at the same time the tide was high. Hence, most of Manado city was inundated,” said Djamaludin referring to last Thursday’s big flood.
Furthermore, he said that Manado city has to pay attention on deforested hills as long term action to protect the environment. “The problem is government had let mountains being cut down to built houses in water catchment areas, ” he said.
Veronica Kumurur, another academician from Sam Ratulangi University, said there were many factors which have led for floods to occur in the city. “Reduced green areas, land use changes from forest to housing areas especially on higher grounds have been causing these floods. Especially, ring road areas have been developed into new housing areas,” said Kumurur who is also laboratory head of housing at the university.
She said that government must be more cautious in issuing permits for building houses which need to go through several assessment. “Government should be able to do improvement especially on permits. And, one of the steps need to be done is to manage river areas,” she said.
Ring road areas are located between Manado city and Minahasa district. These areas were once hills with big trees but they were turned into lavish housing areas managed by Citraland, under Ciputra Group. Yoseph Ikanubun