MANILA - The Aquino government, through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), plans to hire a private company to dredge the rivers in Subic, Zambales in an attempt to alleviate the worsening flood situation a Palace Official said on Tuesday.
 |
| Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte |
The monsoon rains, enhanced by Odette (international name Usagi), poured incessantly over the weekend, swelling rivers, causing floodings and triggered landslides in Subic and other areas in Zambales.
Calaclan River and other rivers that pass through Subic were heavily silted and overflowed, causing the floods.
"Apparently, there is already a dredger from DPWH that is on standby in Olongapo. But it has not been operational since August of 2011 because there is a certain part -it's called a converter module, na sira. It's not working because of that and there are no available parts in the market. That's why Secretary (Rogelio) Singson said that they are already considering contracting out the dredging to a private company," Valte said.
Aside from dredging the rivers, Valte said the DPWH also plans to widen watersways to address the massive floodings.
"It's not just the dredging kasi that is the solution. Siguro the knee-jerk solution to any siltation in a river would be desiltation and dredging. But, as what always Secretary Singson says, 'yung widening also of the waterways a kailangan," Valte said.
"And, normally, the widening is hampered by the presence of some structures along those rivers—or, at least, in this particular river—and the DPWH is dependent also on the local government to help in clearing the structures along the waterways," she said. PND (js)
Press Briefing by Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, 24 September 2013 (VIDEO)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPR1GVQr5W0&feature=player_embedded
PCOO EDP
0 comments:
Post a Comment