LA RINIDAD, Benguet – Major road networks in this capital town will be installed with a sufficient number of close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor the activities of unscrupulous individuals who unabatedly dump garbage in strategic portions of the roads leading to the town proper violating existing laws, rules and regulations.
Mayor Romeo Salda said the installation of CCTV cameras in strategic portions of the Shilan-Beckel road, Pico-Lamtang road, Halsema highway from Km. 3 to Km. 6 and other interior roads in the municipality was an offshoot of the numerous incidents where there were huge volume of garbage dumped by unscrupulous haulers in several ravines polluting the said areas, thus, the need to install the appropriate devices for the local government to monitor such illegal activities, identify the culprits for the filing of the appropriate charges against them. “We have to stop the illegal dumping of waste within our areas of jurisdiction and we decided to immediately install CCTV cameras in strategic portions of our main roads. We want to make sure that those who are illegally dumping their garbage in any part of our town should suffer the consequences of their illegal actions,” Salda stressed.
The local chief executive disclosed the local government allocated P5 million for the initial phase of the CCTV project but additional funds are needed to purchase more CCTV cameras for more installation in strategic areas of the road.
According to him, the CCTV cameras will not only serve as monitoring equipment but it will also help in the implementation of anti-criminality and peacekeeping strategies of the town’s police force and the local government to sustain law and order.
Salda admitted that the repeated dumping of garbage in portions of roads leading to the locality by irresponsible and careless haulers has tarnished the image of the municipality so the local government wants to make sure that perpetrators of these illegal dumping will be immediately identified, apprehended and appropriately charged for the same.
He issued a stern warning against those who continue to illegally dump their garbage in isolated areas of major roads leading to the municipality that the local government means business in trying to go after them because they should be penalized and stop the negative impact of such actions on the preservation and protection of the state of the town’s environment.
Earlier, the Cordillera office of a kidney center and its hauler were fined by the agency for dumping hazardous hospital waste long a portion of the Shilan-Beckel road while the local government and concerned government agencies are still investigation those responsible for the illegal dumping of garbage along portions of the Pico-Lamtang road in the past so that the concerned individuals will answer for their illegal acts.
Salda appealed to residents along major roads to closely monitor the activities of haulers passing through their places to ascertain the unscrupulous ones for them to be charged accordingly. By HENT
