DPWH urged to inspect old dikes to avoid another breach

The Malabon City government urged the Department of Public Works and Highways yesterday to inspect old and damaged dikes in the city, which are part of the DPWH’s mega-flood control project, to avoid a repeat of Tuesday’s dike breach that affected more than 1,000 families in at least three low-lying villages.

“The city officials are always urging the DPWH to check on old dikes and fast-track anti-flood project construction in time for the rainy season but we don’t understand what caused the delays,” Bong Padua, Mayor Canuto Oreta’s public information officer, told The STAR.

Padua said a 12-meter river dike on Encarnacion Street in Barangay Niyugan broke down at about 10 a.m. Tuesday, causing waters at least two meters deep to flood the village and parts of two neighboring barangays of Tonsuya and Catmon.

“More than 1,000 families were affected by the unexpected surge of water and many of their appliances were also damaged. They are now starting to get angry and restless,” he said.

Padua said the delay in the construction of the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) Mega-Flood Control project, spearheaded by the DPWH under project director Carla Bartolo, “is putting in danger the lives of residents, especially those residing near the river banks.”

“It’s still summer time, what more if rainy days are here or worse typhoons hit us? It would be a disaster,” he said.

Padua said that the flash flood was only contained when the local engineering department, headed by engineer Ruth Zenaida, with the assistance of the local residents, conducted sandbagging operations.

As of yesterday, DPWH personnel with heavy equipment were still working to repair the damaged dike, he said.

Padua said Oreta, through the local engineering office, has been urging the DPWH to first restore or built new river dikes, particularly in low-lying areas affected by the flood-control project, for the safety of the city residents.

The P5-billion Camanava flood control project’s construction started in June 2004 and was supposed to be finished in three years, Padua said, but its construction deadline was moved several times and only recently was it moved to September this year.       – Pete Laude