DPWH contractor starts P100-M Aklan River dredging

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL / The NewsToday

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KALIBO, Aklan - Nearly two years after Typhoon Frank devastated the province of Aklan, the dredging activities of Aklan River are going full blast to mitigate the perennial flooding along the riverbanks..

The P100-million dredging project sourced from the Calamity Fund of the Department of Public Works and Highways for 2009 for the rehabilitation and repair of Aklan River Control and dredging is being undertaken by International Builders Corporation.

Last week of April, the Iloilo contractor already started the excavation works in the mouth of the Aklan River facing the Sibuyan Sea while the provincial government will start next week the dredging with its own dredger in the upstream portion.

Provincial Engineer Victory Fernandez said the provincial government also allocated counterpart funds to accelerate the dredging operations of the silted Aklan River. An estimated 200,000 cubic meters of silt are being removed in about ten months time considering the onset of the rainy season.

The actual dredging works is vital to prevent massive flooding in Kalibo serving as catch basin of floodwaters from Aklan River tributaries traversing the towns in the riverbanks near Sibuyan Sea.

The contractor targets to dredge the existing river width from 350 to 600 meters and the depth of excavation ranging from 0.50 meter to 2 meters depending on the cross-section of the Aklan River.

During the June 2008 flooding, Typhoon Frank inundated the towns of Numancia, Banga, Lezo, Malinao, Madalag, Libacao and the worst hit capital town of Kalibo brought by heavy downpours and devastating floods.

The typhoon displaced thousands of families and has inflicted damages of over P2-billion on infrastructures, agriculture and fisheries in the province.