DPWH: Soon all spared trees must be cut
PRESSURE ON DENR
ENVIRONMENTAL groups that felt they succeeded in protecting a hundred trees along the Manila North Road and other major highways from being cut and uprooted, are in for another blow in their efforts.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Pangasinan has announced that it will remove all trees still standing along the roads’ right of way, meaning all the trees that were in the right of way but spared earlier will eventually go.
Officials of the four engineering districts in Pangasinan echoed this policy when they spoke at the KBP Forum on Thursday.
Narchito Arpillera of 3rd Engineering District, said they will continue to apply for permits to cut the remaining trees from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Bernardo Caronongan of the 2nd Engineering District added that in addition to the trees, there are yet many electric posts still standing on the widened roads that need to be relocated, citing those owned by the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (Cenpelco) and Dagupan Electric Corporation (Decorp).
Asked on who should bankroll the relocation of electric posts, Caronongan was of the opinion that it should be the electric cooperatives, not DPWH.
However, Cenpelco general manager Rodrigo Corpuz said Cenpelco can not on its own relocate their electric posts because they don’t have P350 million to accomplish it since it will also have to spend for the new electric posts that will replace the old posts.
In reaction to comment that the widening of roads along the MNR in La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, no trees are being cut which is in sharp contrast with the policy adopted in Pangasinan, Menio Abarabar, also of the DPWH, insisted there is a uniform policy on road widening in Region 1 and maintained that those trees still standing on the road right of way in other provinces are being spared until permits are obtained from DENR.
DPWH officials said to avoid delays in the construction of other infrastructures, projects lined up for next year, the new regional director of the DPWH has directed to secure tree cutting permits .
Meanwhile, Caronongan said narrow bridges are also being widened to complement the already widened road, citing a few concrete bridges in Dagupan and Binmaley. (Leonardo Micua)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
