• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya said the clearing and desilting of the Mandalagan River, which serves as the main catchment for eight tributary creeks from barangays Mandalagan, Estefania, Bata, Villamonte, Montevista, and 1, started Oct. 21.
“This was our commitment last August, an intensive effort of the City to restore and rehabilitate the full capacity of the Mandalagan River and safeguard nearby areas during heavy rains,” Gasataya said in a statement, adding that an amphibious dredger from the Department of Public Works and Highways Regional Office has been deployed for this massive operation.
Heavy machinery, including backhoes and dump trucks, will also be deployed to eliminate accumulated silt, garbage, and debris obstructing the river’s channels.
The mayor said that once the river is cleared of silt and garbage, it will greatly help in reducing water buildup in several areas, especially in north Bacolod.
Engr. Loben Ceballos, officer-in-charge of the City Engineer’s Office (CEO), earlier said in a city press release that the desilting operations would span at least 500 meters of the river, from the mouth up to the bridge in Brgy. 1.
An estimated 54,000 cubic meters of silt is targeted to be removed, and the operation could last for five to six months, the city said.
Gasataya had tasked the CEO, in collaboration with the DPWH-Negros Island Region, to optimize the river’s water flow and mitigate flood risks in adjacent communities.
Per a hydrographic survey of the CEO, the river mouth’s depth had been reduced to about one meter due to sedimentation, the city said, adding that Gasataya had described such condition as a “ramp” forming at the river’s outlet, aggravating backflow and flooding during heavy downpour. | CGC
