Davao
City is set to complete by this month the installation of eight water
measurement equipment which was provided by the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST) as part of Project Noah.
Through
Project Noah, DOST aims to make use of technology to improve the country’s
disaster risk reduction activities and responses.
“We
have received the warning devices last May but we are still waiting for
financing for the construction of fences for the equipment,” Davao City
Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office Chief Pepito Capili said during
yesterday’s Kapihan held at Abreeza Mall.
Capili
said DOST wants to ensure the safety of the equipment considering that
monitoring equipment installed in Barangay Suawan last 2010 was stolen two
months after its installation. Part of the agreement was for the local
government to pay for the fencing.
Among
the equipment awaiting installation are six water level monitoring equipment to
be installed along the Suawan River, Tamugan, Davao River, Pangi Bridge, Mintal
Bridge, Wangan Bridge and Wangan Bridge. Also included are two rain gauges to
be installed in Biao which contributes to the Pangi Water System and Baguio
Proper.
He
said that each of the six areas require P20,000 for fencing. The local
government support fund, he said, will provide the estimated P120,000 required
to construct the fences which will secure the water measurement equipment.
“The
water monitoring equipment are automated but we will still need manual
monitoring which is being provided by field personnel and even people from the
barangays,” he said. The city is still negotiating the provision of eight
weather monitoring stations with DOST and some more equipment to be financed by
the League of Cities of the Philippines.
