LGUs told to stop desilting near dike

THE SAFETY of San Fernando-Sto. Tomas-Minalin tail dike in Pampanga is exposed to risks as contractors of local governments leave little buffer between the structure and a newly revived channel draining floodwater away from the three areas. TONETTE OREJAS / INQUIRER CENTRAL LUZON

MINALIN, Pampanga—The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has advised local governments to stop emergency desilting work at the southwest of the damaged San Fernando-Sto. Tomas-Minalin tail dike because lahar was being removed too close from the structure.

Desilting should be done at least 20 to 40 meters away from the foot of the tail dike, said Antonio Molano Jr., DPWH director in Central Luzon.

“We need to ensure the stability of the dike by giving it a buffer zone,” Molano said.

Gov. Lilia Pineda said she had relayed the instruction to local officials on Wednesday.

But up to Saturday, two backhoes of a quarry operator moved earth near the Sta. Catalina section of the tail dike, which Minalin Mayor Arturo Naguit stopped through the police.

On a loan from the Japanese government, the DPWH contracted R-II Builders in 2000 to rehabilitate the 9.6-kilometer tail dike.

But the heavy and continuous rains induced by the southwest monsoon on Aug. 7 damaged two sections of the tail dike on the side of the City of San Fernando. Mt. Pinatubo’s lahar and water in the last 15 years have almost filled the dike.

The local governments of Sto. Tomas, Minalin and City of San Fernando, through Naguit, have been taking advantage of the good weather for two weeks now to scoop out sand and remake the channel of Dalan Pari and Sapang Labuan creeks in Minalin. This would direct water flow toward Guagua and Sasmuan towns and, finally, to Manila Bay. The water originates from Gugu Creek that enters FVR Megadike.

Pineda said the provincial government had allocated P10 million for the desilting activities to ease flooding in areas near the tail dike.

However, the distance between the dike and the revived channel of the two creeks varied from a meter to 5 meters in a 5-km stretch, a check by the Inquirer on Saturday showed.

Naguit said the revived channel took in little water because a diversion canal burst open on Wednesday, letting water flow toward the City of San Fernando and Sto. Tomas again.

As a result, the villages of San Pedro Cutud, Sta. Lucia and San Nicolas in San Fernando and Sapa in Sto. Tomas were flooded again.

Molano said DPWH would begin rechanneling the downstream of Gugu Creek and start repairing the tail dike’s damaged portions.

He said the National Economic and Development Authority had approved P272.19 million for the tail dike projects from out of the P5 billion that the Aquino administration has set aside for high-impact flood control interventions.  Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon