Moratorium on housing subdivisions in Davao eyed due to water supply concern
A DAVAO CITY councilor is planning to propose a moratorium on the approval of applications for housing subdivisions to ensure that the city’s water supply remains sustainable. “The plan to ask for a moratorium on the approval of housing subdivisions in the city will only be until such time that the Davao City Water District (DCWD) can provide the council with information to serve as a guideline in approval of future housing applications,” said Councilor Jesus Joseph P. Zozobrado III, chair of the committee on public works and highways. “We also asked DCWD to provide a protective buffer on the water supply and to coordinate with the city council on their findings,” he said, noting that the issue is also about making water resources “sustainable.” DCWD Spokesperson Bernard D. Delima, for his part, said, “We do not have yet a protected buffer or water surplus on a daily basis because all water extracted and produced on a daily basis are all distributed for the said day.” He added, “This is why we need the Tamugan Bulk Water Project to cope with future demands and create surplus for contingencies.” Approval of the P10-billion Tamugan bulk water supply project of Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. (AAII), a joint venture between Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. and JV Angeles Construction Corp., has been delayed after the city council remanded the proposal to the committee on housing, rural and urban development for several reasons, including a protest by the community surrounding the water source area. —