In the early 1980s, every time we passed by Taft river on our way to Tacloban City, I always wondered why its banks were practically devoid of plants and why the soils along this river were colored bright red, black or green.
Years later (in the 1990s) we learned that the unusual appearance of the river was due to the fact that it was ecologically dead because of the severe heavy metals pollution as a result of the mining operations in Bagacay
(located in the upper part of the river basin)(see photo below). Last December 2010, as I was driving along the winding Wright-Taft highway, I noticed that the nearby Taft river was very much different
from what I used to see years ago: the river has started to recover from the severe pollution as indicated by the variety of plants that can be seen growing on its banks. This is a very positive development but I hope
Estehanons will not forget what happened to this important river in the past.
Years later (in the 1990s) we learned that the unusual appearance of the river was due to the fact that it was ecologically dead because of the severe heavy metals pollution as a result of the mining operations in Bagacay
(located in the upper part of the river basin)(see photo below). Last December 2010, as I was driving along the winding Wright-Taft highway, I noticed that the nearby Taft river was very much different
from what I used to see years ago: the river has started to recover from the severe pollution as indicated by the variety of plants that can be seen growing on its banks. This is a very positive development but I hope Estehanons will not forget what happened to this important river in the past.
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