Rosales folk stop quarrying, land filling
ROSALES–Farmers and residents here successfully stopped quarrying and landfilling activities for an eight-kilometer dike-road of the planned Tarlac-Pangasina-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).
The directive to stop the twin activities was issued by Gov. Amado Espino Jr. in response to an appeal he received last week.
A group of farmers and rural folk who feared that the dike could worsen flooding in the town called on Governor Amado Espino Jr., last week to seek his help.
“What we need is a viaduct, not a dike road which would cause, not prevent flooding in our town during rainy days,” they said.
The farmers said Espino promptly directed his assistant, former Mayor Ramon Morden, to inspect the area.
As of press time, the quarrying and land filling have already stopped.
“We hope it will be permanent and give way to the construction of a viaduct which right thinking engineers recommend.”
LETTER TO DPWH, DOTC
The group also sent letters, signed by more than 1,000 residents, to officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Transportation and Communications about the matter.
“(We) appeal to your good office to investigate and stop immediately the ongoing land filling activities by Nepomuceno Trucking Company,” the letter reads.
The letter also noted that the land filling is “with the knowledge of local officials … in clear violation of what the residents have proposed, which is a viaduct for the TPLEX.”
Part of the quarrying, the letter said, has reached the foot of Balungao mountain near a National Park and “very near a live volcano, which could erupt once disturbed. This is serious and frightening”.
The landfilling already covered “a sizable portion of the proposed 8-kilometer section of the TPLEX in Rosales,” the letter added.
Rosales was one of the worst hit towns during the flooding brought by Typhoon Pepeng in 2009.
They also lamented that the contractors provided only three small culverts between l00 meters to serve as outlets, which is “not enough to hold volumes of water.”
They said it would normally take three to five days for floodwaters to recede during a regular rainfall, adding the situation, if not checked, could be much worse when there is flooding.—LM
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