Probe into tail dike breach starts today

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Pampanga Provincial Board’s (PB) committee on environment will start formal investigations Monday on the breach at the Minalin-Sto. Tomas-San Fernando tail dike that led to massive here.

Board Member and committee on environment chair Nestor Tolentino (4th district) said the investigation is in response to the joint resolutions of the Municipal Council of Minalin and Sto. Tomas dated August 28.

Resolution 2012-01 “earnestly implored Governor Lilia Pineda and the Provincial Board” to conduct a deeper investigation on the breach.

Tolentino said the investigation will also draw in experts and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to shed light on the condition of the whole tail dike and devise possible long-term actions to prevent or at least mitigate massive flooding scenarios in the area.

Earlier, a portion of the San Fernando-Sto. Tomas-Minalin Tail Dike was breached at the onset of the southwest monsoon, resulting in massive flooding in this city and the fourth district towns of Sto. Tomas, Minalin, Macabebe, Masantol and parts of Apalit and San Luis.

At present, the Provincial Government and the DPWH are conducting rechanneling works to prevent large volumes of water from impounding at the tail dike.

Pineda recently approved a P5-million budget to jumpstart the rechanneling project while waiting for the release of funds from the DPWH.

The municipality of Minalin already dredged some 3.5 kilometers starting at the mouth of the San Francisco River going to the Pasig-Potrero-River.

Tolentino said local officials of Sto. Tomas and Minalin will also be given chances to elaborate and comment on the current palliative works of the Provincial Government of Pampanga and DPWH on the breached portion.