spot_img
28.6 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Step up water resources management, agencies told

- Advertisement -

A committee in the House of Representatives has asked the Department of Public Works and Highways and the National Water Resources Board to step up their efforts in addressing the flooding and water resources problem in the National Capital Region.

The panel’s head, Rep. Manuel Luis of Manila, made the statement during a congressional hearing on the flood control projects being undertaken by the department in coordination with several agencies of the government.

“I think you are required to step up because as head of the flood control situation in Metro Manila, it is unacceptable that we would not have drastic [measures to be implemented] So, [to be fair] to the 15 million residents of the National Capital Region, we ask you to step up [your efforts]. You [should] think out of the box,” Lopez told DPWH during the hearing on Wednesday.

The lawmaker from Tondo lamented their situation last year when Tondo was flooded due to Typhoon Ulysses and experienced water service interruption at the same time. Lopez also cited Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo’s complaint about the unsolved flooding in Marikina and nearby cities.

In response, Lydia Aguilar, DPWH flood control engineer, said the agency had been working on 11 large-scale priority projects under the 2012 flood management master plan to address the frequent flooding in parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

- Advertisement -

Among these projects, Aguilar said, were the construction of a dam upstream, river channel and drainage improvements, construction of pumping stations and rehabilitation of existing ones, and dredging and other river improvement projects. Also in the pipeline was the Parañaque Spillway project, the feasibility project of which was now ongoing with the technical assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

“These projects are also in line with the [Typhoon] Ondoy that we experienced in 2009. Basically, the [master plan] has been the roadmap or guide of DPWH to implement its flood control projects up to the present,” Aguilar said.

A 2018 news report quoted Aguilar as saying that only 14 percent of the P352-billion flood master plan had been completed due to a lack of funding. It is set to be finished by 2035.

Deputy Speaker and Valenzuela City Rep. Eric Martinez, meanwhile, lamented the NWRB’s apparent “calculated mistake” of releasing volumes of water from Angat dam months before Metro Manila suffered from a water crisis in 2019.

NWRB Executive Director Sevillo David Jr. could not provide an exact answer but assured there would be sufficient supply of water for the coming hot dry season this year.

Lopez asked the NWRB to submit to the committee pertinent documents to answer Martinez’s concerns, as well as the other reports the panel had been requesting. The committee, the Manila lawmaker says, also plans to hold an inspection on the water facilities to further ensure the country’s preparation for summer.

“It seems that our only hope for a regular water supply is an abundance of rainfall. We cannot rely on luck. Government’s duty is to ensure constant and regular supply of water to our people. We need to have the infrastructure to ensure this,” Lopez said.

“We also expect the various government agencies tasked with ensuring this most basic of human needs to provide this committee with your plans to ensure that we can finally solve this seemingly basic problem.”

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles