The inbox of our e-mail address has been flooded for the past several days with comments and ideas about the recent flooding in the city. Albeit belatedly, we are giving way to these bright ideas selected from our inbox for whatever its worth. Due to lack of material space, we could not print their e-mails in full.

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We start with Manuel Fuderanan: "It was unfortunate for the residents of Penaflor St. to wade in knee-deep polluted waters after a short downpour. Unless City Engineering does not have any topographic map or a "relief model" for at least the downtown and surrounding areas, the destination of the flash flood could have been pinpointed and prevented.

As things apparently stand now, this residential neighborhood is a veritable retention basin. What aggravates things is the pollution caused by sewer connections from households and commercial establishments to the "drainage system", which should not have been the case. Without this contamination, there would have been no impediment if the purely surface run-off is channeled from surface to sub-surface flow direct to the sea without the need of any wastewater treatment facility. There should be a closer scrutiny on the grading plan of any future development.

As to the city's road network program, it is a step in the right direction which should have been implemented long, long time ago. Traffic congestion, like drainage, is an issue that is typical to Philippine urban centers. Present-day urban problems are due to the "spontaneous/isolated growth" orientation by the leadership of yesteryears.

But there's more to traffic saturation than meets the eye. The continuing thrust should be to stem rural-to-urban migration by initiating livelihood programs in our countryside.

As the Traffic Engineers' maxim goes: "Trying to cure traffic congestion by building more roads is like trying to cure obesity by buying a bigger and longer belt."

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Then from Mar Dumadag: "The severe flooding during heavy rains in some areas of the city could not have happened if there was an adequate and comprehensive general planning. Tagbilaran is a fast growing city and needs an adequate drainage system to take care of the storm water runoffs to preserve and promote the general health, welfare, and economic well being of community.

Drainage is a feature that affects the community so that it is necessary to formulate a program that balances both public and private involvement. The planning of drainage facilities should provide certain underlying principles of direction through a set of policy statements and ordinances or codes facilitated by technical drainage criteria and data (rainfalls and topography).

Storm drainage is a part of the whole urban environmental system that its planning and design must be compatible with the general plan. To assist in the solution of drainage problems, planning for drainage facilities should be coordinated with other planning elements, especially with the open space and circulation (transportation) elements.

The recent flooding in some sections of the city was primarily caused by poor planning, lack of coordination by the government agencies involved and the lack of knowledge in methods of construction on drainage system.

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And finally from Vic Coquilla: "When a government or any private entity plans to undertake and pursue development of a large and important project such as the drainage system of Tagbilaran City, it is imperative that no stone must be left unturned in the process of determining the viability of installing a drainage system and foreseeing the inevitable impact that it will cause not only to the inhabitants but also to the environment.

Decision to go ahead with the project must be made only when it is found that the project is viable and that it will work in accordance with the general plan as envisioned by the city planners.

In this case, we can absolutely presume that either there is no general plan at all or the implementing authorities are remiss in their duty to implement the requirements of the general plan, if there is any. It is hard to believe that Tagbilaran City does not have a general plan for all to follow and implement whenever a project is to be undertaken by the City Government or any private entity.

Am I missing something here? I thought all along that the offices of the city government of Tagbilaran City are inhabited by brilliant people and people with unquestionable foresight.

Why is it that nobody ever thought of the adverse consequence that will result if you build a drainage system without providing an exit for the water to flow? Doesn't anybody know that water will always seek its own level and when its flow is impeded, it will create a reservoir?

And what have become of the vaunted and talented engineers of the City Engineering Office? Why couldn't they devise, even simple plans to make way for water to flow and not stay and clog the city streets and residential areas?

Why is it that nobody ever thought of how to deal with wastes and toxic pollutants when they designed the drainage system? It is very obvious, even to the uneducated person, that when wastes and toxic pollutants are mixed with rain/surface water, it is the rain/surface water that will get contaminated, not the other way around.

And they cannot just ignore the wastes and toxic pollutants in the city because it is there and it is definitely multiplying in conjunction with the city's growing trend. I think that the habit of blaming others for what happened and explaining why it happened are not going to help solve the problems and predicament of the people and visitors of Tagbilaran. Somebody must take the lead and go out there and just do it."

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For comments and suggestions, just e-mail to the following e-mail addresses: obiter@boholchronicle.com