NUEVA ECIJA – The ‘Banana Island’ triggered anew a mudslide in a stretch of the mountain highway in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija and stalled traffic for several hours.
The exact place of the mudslide is in Kilometer 193 + 50.
Hundreds of vehicles and motorists going up north and coming down toward the Nueva Ecija area were stranded starting 2:00 p.m. Monday. A land of the highway was cleared about 1:00 a.m. Tuesday and the vehicles were allowed to pass by turns.
Last August 7, thousands of motor vehicles and passengers were stranded in the same area due to the massive landslide due to rains triggered by Typhoon Kiko. Police reports said the landslide then stalled vehicle for 32 hours in an eight-kilometer stretch going up north and about the same stretch on the other side coming down to Nueva Ecija.
The recurrence of succeeding mudslides is not yet discounted because of the problem caused by the “Banana Island”. Authorities said another heavy rain will surely trigger another mudslide and closing of traffic.
Just what is “Banana Island”.
Engr. Ramiro Cruz, chief of the second engineering district of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Nueva Ecija, said the island is a breach in a portion of the mountain where mud, debris and water collect.
It is shaped like a giant banana fruit and impounds from 40,000 to 50,000 metric tons of debris. Whenever heavy rains come, big volumes of the debris are washed down on the highway.
“It’s on the mountain in Barangay Putlan overlooking the highway,” Cruz said. “That area is really our big problem when there is rain,” he said.
The debris that is washed down had to be moved down to the river bank which abuts the other side of the highway. It takes several hours before the debris can be cleared by several pieces of heavy equipment.
The landslide area is barely 15 kilometers from Dalton Pass which is at the boundary of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya.
Cruz said the “Banana Island” is provided with a stone masonry at its tip near the highway to prevent continuous mudflow. The problem occurs when the island is already brimming with debris and rainwater.
“We will have to remove the debris up there in the mountain. We will do this as soon as we fixed the highway of its current problem,” Cruz said.
He said it will be a tedious job and will require weeks and good weather conditions to do it.
Cruz said the problem in Barangay Puncan could be traced to the big earthquake in 1990. The mountain area, he said, was shaken causing the soil and the rocks to be loose.
“Parang itinahip ng lindol iyong bundok doon (The earthquake shook to and fro the mountain up there),” Cruz said.
The exact place of the mudslide is in Kilometer 193 + 50.
Hundreds of vehicles and motorists going up north and coming down toward the Nueva Ecija area were stranded starting 2:00 p.m. Monday. A land of the highway was cleared about 1:00 a.m. Tuesday and the vehicles were allowed to pass by turns.
Last August 7, thousands of motor vehicles and passengers were stranded in the same area due to the massive landslide due to rains triggered by Typhoon Kiko. Police reports said the landslide then stalled vehicle for 32 hours in an eight-kilometer stretch going up north and about the same stretch on the other side coming down to Nueva Ecija.
The recurrence of succeeding mudslides is not yet discounted because of the problem caused by the “Banana Island”. Authorities said another heavy rain will surely trigger another mudslide and closing of traffic.
Just what is “Banana Island”.
Engr. Ramiro Cruz, chief of the second engineering district of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Nueva Ecija, said the island is a breach in a portion of the mountain where mud, debris and water collect.
It is shaped like a giant banana fruit and impounds from 40,000 to 50,000 metric tons of debris. Whenever heavy rains come, big volumes of the debris are washed down on the highway.
“It’s on the mountain in Barangay Putlan overlooking the highway,” Cruz said. “That area is really our big problem when there is rain,” he said.
The debris that is washed down had to be moved down to the river bank which abuts the other side of the highway. It takes several hours before the debris can be cleared by several pieces of heavy equipment.
The landslide area is barely 15 kilometers from Dalton Pass which is at the boundary of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya.
Cruz said the “Banana Island” is provided with a stone masonry at its tip near the highway to prevent continuous mudflow. The problem occurs when the island is already brimming with debris and rainwater.
“We will have to remove the debris up there in the mountain. We will do this as soon as we fixed the highway of its current problem,” Cruz said.
He said it will be a tedious job and will require weeks and good weather conditions to do it.
Cruz said the problem in Barangay Puncan could be traced to the big earthquake in 1990. The mountain area, he said, was shaken causing the soil and the rocks to be loose.
“Parang itinahip ng lindol iyong bundok doon (The earthquake shook to and fro the mountain up there),” Cruz said.
