Foul odor coming from the Cabacawan Creek that made some students dizzy led to the suspension of some classes at the Jose Montelibano Elementary School and St Joseph High School-La Salle in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City yesterday.

Residents of Barangays Estefania, Villamonte and Montevista Friday had complained about the foul odor believed caused by a reported fish kill.

Estefania Barangay Captain Elsie Valenzuela said their Barangay Council passed a resolution yesterday, sponsored by Kagawad Audie Zolayvar, requesting the Bacolod City government to expedite the investigation on the reported fish kill during their special session on their budget.

She said they collected 15 sacks of dead janitor fishes from the Cabacawan Creek Saturday morning after receiving complaints from residents, and will conduct a clean-up drive there starting 6 a.m. today to remove more dead fishes.

City Health Officer Dr. Salome Biñas advised officials of Estefania to bury the dead fishes to prevent the spread of foul odor and to wear protective gear during the clean-up drive.

Meanwhile, Biñas said that during their inspection yesterday, they found live fishes in the Cabacawan Creek near the outlet of the waste water pond of San Miguel Brewery in Brgy. Granada, that showed that the problem was not caused by the plant.

There was no foul odor coming from the creek near the brewery and they even found three carabaos wading in the water there, she said. The fish kill did not start at the creek near the SMC plant and they are trying to trace its source, she added.

Biñas said they inspected the Cabacawan Creek yesterday starting from Villamonte going to Granada and discovered many dead fishes in the creek near the St. Rafael Development Corp.

The inspection team included Max Sillo of the City Environment and Natural Resources.

Estefania Kagawad Jerry Tingson said they are also looking into the possibility that a poultry farm in the area could be responsible for disposing harmful chemicals into the creek.

Biñas said staff of the health center had also been sent to attend to pupils of Jose Montelibano Elementary School in Villamonte.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia said they will combine the efforts of the City Health Office, City Agriculture Office, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office and, if need be, even the police, to determine the cause and to implement measures to correct the situation.

This is something serious that needs to be given priority, he said.

Businessman Danny Yap of Patricia Village in Brgy. Granada said a similar incident happened sometime in June and July but no one complained and the incident was discovered only last week when dead fishes were swept by the rains to Brgy. Estefania.

He said someone may have sprayed chemicals on the creek or poisoned the water to get fishes like Tilapia or Sili. He claimed he saw some men trying to poison the fishes sometime in June and that they fled when he shouted at them.*CGS

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