THE Metro Manila Development Authority has resumed its campaign cleaning up clogged creeks and open waterways to prevent severe floods in the metropolis in time of the rainy season.
The MMDA led by acting chairman Thomas Orbos officially relaunched the agency’s flood mitigation activity dubbed “Estrero Blitz” project on Wednesday when hundreds of MMDA personnel from Flood Control And Sewerage Management Service started the cleanup activity at the Estero Tripa de Gallina in Malate, Manila.
Despite the regular cleanup, Estero Tripa de Gallina has always been swamped with domestic waste materials coming from the up-stream as well as mid-stream areas of the waterway.
The MMDA attributed the problem from residents living along and near the creek.
Among the waterways scheduled to be cleared from March to July are Pasig River Basin in Port Area, Manila; Estero de San Miguel, Estero de Quiapo, Estero de Magdalena, and Estero de Maypajo also in Manila; Lapu-lapu/ Spine Open Canal and Letre Open Canal in Malabon City; Pasong Malapad Creek and the lagoon in Caloocan City; Waling-waling Creek and Tanque Creek, Sta. Lucia Creek and Villa Creek in Quezon City; Pinagkatdan Creek in Pasig City; Balanti Creek in Marikina City; Pinagsama Creek in Taguig City; Sto. Rosario-Silangan River in Pateros; Estero Tripa de Gallina-Buendia Outfall in Makati City; Sto. Nino Creek in Pasay City; Dahlig Creek in Las Piñas City; Pasong Diablo River in Muntinlupa City; Coastal Open Canal in Parañaque City; and Libertad Retarding Pone in at Libertad Pumping Station in Pasay.
Armed with heavy equipment, such as crane, dump trucks and spider backhoe, the MMDA men have started cleaning up the creeks.
Some MMDA men had to use small boats or bancas to fish out the floating debris and refuse from the waterways.
“We have to do this periodically to maximize the conveyance capacity of our open waterways in anticipation of the forthcoming rainy season,” said Orbos.
To date, there are 37 pumping stations in Metro Manila being operated and maintained by the agency.
The MMDA has identified several flood-prone areas in Metro Manila during the rainy season including Sampaloc, Manila and its immediate vicinity; Rizal Avenue corner R. Papa in Manila; Makati Diversion Channel, South Superhighway-Buendia; Maysilo Circle-Boni Avenue, Kalentong St., New Panaderos St., Shaw Boulevard and Acacia Lane in Mandaluyong; Brgy. Dona Imelda, Damayang Lagi, Tatalon and Talayan in Quezon City; Quiapo, Manila and its immediate vicinity; and Ninoy Aquino Avenue and its immediate vicinity in Parañaque.
With this regular clean up, the MMDA is expecting that floods in low lying areas of Metro Manila would quickly subside after heavy rainfall.
The campaign also aimed to maximize the “conveyance capacity” of open waterways in Metro Manila to enable it to accommodate larger volume of floodwaters during the rainy season, thus hastening the flood receding rate and minimizing flooding.
The program is also part of the agency’s efforts towards urban renewal and disaster mitigation.
