A SUPPOSEDLY qualified subject matter expert told me that the streets were flooded because it rained.
His reasoning appeared to be acceptable based on ordinary logic, but he was obviously not aware that even if it rains, the streets would not be flooded if only there was a proper drainage system, and if only the rainwater that would flow into the drainage system would have some outlets to go to, such as canals, creeks, streams, rivers, lakes and bays. That is of course subject to the condition that these outlets should be deep enough to take in the water flows, and that is where the problem of siltation comes in.
Before going any further, I would like to make it clear that a drainage system is not the same as a canal system.
Drainage systems are those that should collect the rainwater as it falls, and canal systems are those that should collect the water from the drainage system as it flows. The problem is, most localities do not seem to understand the difference between these two, and that is why drainage systems are rarely found, and proper canal systems are not found at all.
What I mean by proper is canal systems that are interconnected to each other, not isolated canals that are found here and there without going anywhere. I admit however that my definition is somewhat, liberal, because strictly speaking, there might be no need for a canal system if there is a proper drainage system.
Siltation is a problem because it builds up solid deposits in the beds of creeks, streams, rivers, lakes and bays.
As the siltation builds up, these deposits would pile up to create bigger solid masses, sometimes forming virtual islands in the middle and on its sides.
Siltation is caused either by the natural soil or sand movements, or the artificial movements of soils and sands due to mining activities. Further complicating the problem of siltation is the problem of garbage accumulation in the waterways that is now happening not only in the cities but also in the countryside. Just like soils and sands, garbage such as plastic bags and aluminum cans pile up and add to the mounds of the virtual islands.
The flooding problem is not as simple as rain falling on the ground, but it is as simple as subtraction and addition.
Since siltation has reduced the available space in the waterways, the answer to the problem is to reduce the siltation in order to add available space for the rainwater coming in. Removing the silt and the garbage deposits in the waterways is the only available option, but then again these deposits have to go somewhere, and if these would have nowhere to go, there would be another problem created.
It seems therefore that planning a land reclamation project nearby would be a logical option, because it would provide a win-win solution. Looking at the practical side, the value of the land created by reclamation would be more than enough to pay for the cost of removing the silt and garbage deposits. (To be continued)/PN
