By Betheena Kae Unite
Dredging activities in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija recently started to mitigate flooding usually caused by the overflow of Digmala River during rainy season, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.
River desilting or dredging started following instruction from the regional officials to deploy equipment and operators since Digmala River is now heavily silted.
“We need additional equipment as we aim to desilt at least 4,400 cubic meters and one-meter depth of the total 10-kilometer stretch of Digmala River,” said district engineer Ricardo M. Puno of DPWH Nueva Ecija Second District Engineering Office.
Puno said desilting activities are being undertaken to prevent recurrence of river overflow that causes flooding in low-lying areas in the town of Bongabon and its surrounding areas.
“With the help of DPWH Bureau of Equipment, we can also create a natural dam or dike measuring three meters in depth and 20 meters in width that can temporarily hold the floodwater and give ample time to the floodwaters to subside,” the official said.
Puno further said silt deposits washed down from the mountainous sections of Aurora and Nueva Ecija to Digmala River led to decrease in water depth, increasing the risk of overflow and flooding.
Desilting of Digmala River will protect the low-lying villages not just of Bongabon, but also other flood-prone areas near Pampanga River, he said.
Digmala River is one of the allied rivers and tributaries of the 260-kilometer Pampanga River that traverses the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, and Pampanga.)