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Friday, March 29, 2024

SMC cleanup of Tullahan River moves further upstream

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San Miguel Corp. (SMC), the proponent of the P735.6-billion New Manila International Airport (NMIA) in Bulakan, Bulacan is extending the reach of its P1 billion Tullahan-Tinajeros River System cleanup to 11.5 kilometers.

The company said the move will complement ongoing flood mitigation measures in the cities of Navotas, Malabon, and Valenzuela before the start of the rainy season. This nearly covers half of the entire 27-km stretch of the river system.

In a statement, SMC President and COO Ramon S. Ang said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has approved the company’s dredging plans for Sectors 4 and 5 of the river system, covering the length of the river from Tinajeros Bridge to Potrero in Malabon and Valenzuela cities.

The section represents an additional 6.3-km of dredging area, in addition to the initial 5.25-km Sectors 1 to 3 from the Manila Bay in Navotas to the Tinajeros Bridge in Malabon, which SMC had been working on.

“We are making all the necessary preparations now to move into the next phase of our river cleanup and flood management initiative. We’re investing in new equipment, and hiring more people. We are fully committed to our advocacy of cleaning up major rivers and helping our cities with flood mitigation,” said Ang.

Ang said the cleanup activities for the new stretch will benefit Valenzuela and the upstream portion of Malabon.

For this purpose, SMC is acquiring special equipment. Work on the additional sections is targeted to begin by early April, while simultaneously maintaining ongoing dredging operations from Manila Bay in Navotas to Tinajeros Bridge which covers Sectors 1-3.

Aside from cleaning and increasing the depth of the river to accommodate more rainwater, especially during the typhoon season, the DPWH has required the widening of portions of the river.

SMC will be working closely with the local government units and MMDA Flood Control group to implement the project.

“Many parts of the river have become shallow, with the depth down to one to two meters. We were able to increase the depth of the river and this complemented the pumping stations at Navotas and Malabon. When heavy typhoons hit the country towards the end of last year, more floodwaters flowed into the river. But no heavy flooding was reported in these flood-prone areas,” he said.

For the 5 sectors, SMC is looking to dredge a total of 1.5 million cubic meters of silty sand and solid waste.

Despite the Luzon-wide lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic, dredging output reached 112,910 metric tons as of February 15, 2021. Dredging output has increased from 600 to 1,000 MT per day.

“To enable to us to effectively dredge the river and help reduce flooding, we are again asking the support of all stakeholders, including the local government units to help us maintain the river and contribute to the national government’s program to rehabilitate the Manila Bay,” Ang said.

Ang said that the acquisition of more equipment and personnel is also in preparation for its upcoming river cleanup initiatives in the province of Bulacan, and for the Pasig River. The Pasig River cleanup is part of its proposed P95.4 billion plan to build the Pasig River Expressway.

Specifically, Ang said the company is acquiring an amphibious excavator for shallow waters and river widening, and a suction cutter dredger that can handle big volume throughput operations, like in the Pasig River.

Read full article on BusinessMirror

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