The Hinigaran River is deteriorating and it is dying, Val Camara, president of the Philippine Kayaking Association, said after seeing it yesterday.

Camara, who is also a Negrense, said the river is scary from what he saw as it is over-congested with fish cages and oyster farms.

However, Hinigaran Mayor Hermilio Aguilar told the DAILY STAR that it is not entirely true and they are considering certain conditions on the issues of the river.

There must enough inflow of brackish water to help the living organisms live and cleanse the water, but the congestion is blocking the way, Camara said.

He said Hinigaran River is unique because it does not have an inlet. However, it also means that there is no feeder or other canal that will help cleanse it.

“The inside of the river is huge and wide but the water has started to bubble and bubbles in rivers are signs of stagnation,” Carama said.

The Hinigaran River becomes stagnant because the inflow of water from the sea is limited due to the congestion right at the entry point of the water, thus, siltation and stagnation develops. The river is not cleansed at all, he added.

He also said that mangroves were not utilized the way they should be since they are just planted by the riverbanks and holding on to the soil. Mangroves are supposed to be breeding grounds and sanctuaries of small fishes, not for soil retention, he added.

“The river is not healthy anymore as fishes are slowly depleting since there is proliferation of unhealthy bacteria,” Camara said.

The local government must take the initiative to save the river and provide alternative sources of income to people whose livelihood will be affected. People will get displaced and the government must convince them, if not, the agriculture, fisheries, and trading industry of the river will die, Camara said.

Mary Ann Colmenares, convenor of Save Hinigaran Environmental Resources Initiative for the Future, said they do not want to displace whatever income that is generated from the present activities of the people, rather, they want to augment it through something that is not hazardous to the environment.

Colmenares also said the river should be kept the way it should be, and must not be abused so as not to lose its potentials.

The river can be used as tourism attraction and Camara said that it is viable for kayaking as long as it is managed and preserved well, she added.

The Hinigaran River has an area of 100 hectares and passes through eight barangays of the town. *LTG

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