Firm dredging Marikina River

The Marikina River will be cleared of  accumulated silt and trash, by dredging a critical bend near the Manggahan Floodway, said property developer Ortigas & Co.

The dredging activity is Ortigas & Co.’s commitment to the community along with the development of a P300-million river wall that would run around the perimeter of one of its property development projects, Circulo Verde.

Dredging is the process of scooping sediments from the riverbed to increase the depth of the river and increase its water conveyance capacity. The silt found at the bend near Manggahan Floodway, which would eventually be hauled out and donated to Marikina City as piling material, amounts to 25,000 cubic meters or approximately 1,500 truckloads.

“Once the river protection wall is done, Ortigas will begin dredging the riverbed. This is a commitment we have made to the various government agencies we work with, to enhance the river and become part of its transformation. We think that it has the same potential as Clarke Quay of Singapore or  River Seine—prime riverside properties that were transformed and carefully maintained by its developers,” said Joselito Santos, general manager of Ortigas & Co.’s real estate division.

Constructing the wall and dredging will increase the average river width by 43 percent, from 46.3 meters to 66.3 meters. It will also deepen the river by 20 meters, more than doubling its current carrying capacity.

Circulo Verde’s river wall is now 20 percent done and is due for completion on June 2013.