Tagbilaran City is mulling the purchase of water pumps to combat the perennial problem of street flooding caused by heavy rains and inadequate drainage systems.

City Engineer Pianicita Castolo told DYRD Balita that the installation of water pumps to suction water off the streets in low lying areas in the city is the only solution to the decades old problem of street flooding.

Castolo identified Lamdagan St., parts of Sikatuna and B. Inting Sts. as flood prone that at times residents wade in waist high water.

Lamdagan St. was inundated with waist deep water caused by a two hour torrential rain and the low terrain of the area.

Drains and gutters built to keep water off the streets especially in parts of B. Inting and Sikatuna were gushing waters into the streets as they were clogged or the size of the drainage canals could not cope with the huge volume of water from high level areas.

Castolo bared that all newly completed concreted streets are provided with drainage canals except those that are undergoing construction.

With the onset of the rainy season, Castolo ordered a massive clean-up of all city drainage canals that should have been done with beforehand to minimize the flooding of streets in low lying areas of the city. (Chito M. Visarra with reports from Allen Doydora)