Invasive plant poses threat to Oro river

By NITZ ARANCON, Correspondent

ENVIRONMENT experts on Tuesday sounded alarm bells even as they called on officials to act on the threat of increasing water hyacinth mats along the Cagayan River.

Unless government and communities acted on the problem by getting rid of the tons of highly problematic water hyacinth that have invaded the river, the city could see a repeat of the 2011 floodings in Cotabato and Maguindanao because of hectares of water hyacincth in the Liguasan Marsh that clogged waterways. Later that year, Cagayan de Oro was devastated by typhoon Sendong that caused rivers here to burst.

City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (Clenro) chief Edwin Dael said he would recommend that city hall create a task force that would take the lead in a massive clean-up.

Dael’s announcement came after the Environmental Management Office of Liceo de Cagayan University expressed alarm and brought the problem to the attention of city hall and the Safer River Life Saver Foundation Inc..

The office’s head, Dr. Rosalita Huerbana, said the water hyacinth infestation could hurt the biodiversity in the Cagayan River.

Huerbana was among those who inspected the river on Tuesday along with Dael, barangay officials, and representatives of the Safer River Life Saver Foundation.

Dael said the free-floating perennial aquatic plants block photosynthesis, and degrade the river’s quality in that these significantly reduce oxygen levels.

In the event that this happens, he said, other river plants could die, and it could even result in fishkills, he said.

“Kon modaghan pag-ayo ang water hyacinth, piligro ang fish kill kay mawad-an man sa required oxygen ang tubig sa  suba, so ang among nasabutan nga kuha-on gyud kini nga klasi sa sagbot,” said Dael.

He said he would meet with officials of the City Engineer’s Office and other city hall departments after the Holy Week, and discuss a specific plan of action.