By Chris V. Panganiban
Inquirer Mindanao Bureau
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — The Butuan City government has given 11 barangays hardest hit by the city’s worsening water shortage 30 days to establish emergency water systems, according to the Butuan City Public Information Office (PIO).
Mayor Lawrence Fortun has directed the affected barangays to immediately prepare water supply projects to provide relief to residents suffering from low water pressure or prolonged water interruptions, the PIO said.
The 11 barangays are Ambago, Bancasi, Bit-os, Bonbon, Cabcabon, Libertad, Lumbocan, Masao, Pangabugan, San Vicente and Villa Kananga.
Under the proposed projects, barangays may purchase and install water tanks and platforms, pumps, filtration systems and water tankers, as well as other equipment needed to establish emergency water supply systems.
The city government has also recommended that the barangays use 30 percent of their Quick Response Funds (QRF) to finance the projects.
Fortun directed that the projects be made operational within 30 days, while the city government will provide the barangays with technical assistance and help facilitate the documentary requirements needed for their implementation, according to the PIO.
The initiative marks the latest emergency response to a water crisis that prompted Butuan to declare a state of calamity on Sept. 5.
The calamity declaration allowed the city government and affected barangays to tap emergency funds and implement measures aimed at easing the water shortage.
Before the latest barangay-based intervention, authorities had identified several emergency measures, including water rationing, the installation of storage facilities, the procurement of water tankers and pumps, and the search for alternative water sources.
The Butuan City Water District earlier reported that 18,285 service connections, or an estimated 91,425 residents, were experiencing low water pressure or no water supply as prolonged dry conditions reduced available water.
With the 30-day target, the city is now banking on the barangay-level water systems to provide a faster source of relief for thousands of residents while authorities pursue longer-term solutions to the city’s water supply crisis.
###
