Ilocos Norte’s provincial government is lending its backhoe, excavator, and other equipment to towns and villages to hasten the desilting of rivers and creeks in anticipation of heavy rainfall that could trigger flash floods in low-lying areas.
Marcel Tabije, local disaster risk reduction and management officer of Ilocos Norte reported Thursday afternoon that the desilting of waterways is ongoing in the flood-prone areas of Paoay, Pinili, Badoc, and Pagudpud towns.
“We are declogging these waterways in anticipation of heavy rains and bring back their depth to prevent overflow that inundates nearby communities,” Tabije said.
Aside from lending equipment, the provincial government’s implementation of the cash-for-work and emergency employment programs has focused on massive clean-up drives for the simultaneous declogging of waterways province-wide.
Critical infrastructures, such as roads and bridges, flood control structures, and irrigation systems have also been monitored since the onset of the rainy season.
“We continue to appeal to all our kakailian (constituents) to always be prepared as rainy days (have) come,” Tabije said.
The latest geohazard study conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) cited the need to dredge rivers and creeks in the province to induce water flow into the sea and reduce riverbank erosion and flooding.
The MGB also recommended to the concerned local governments that settlement should be avoided at the foot of mountains, areas immediately adjacent to river channels, near canyons, and gullies transecting upland areas. (Leilanie Adriano)
(Source: Philippine News Agency)