Monday, October 06, 2008 DPWH acts on damaged portion of Arnedo Dike
ARAYAT -- The Department of Public Works and Highways' (DPWH) 2nd Engineering District acted on Sunday on the section of the Arnedo Dike damaged by after heavy rains brought about by Typhoon Pablo that inundated the Pampanga River.
District Engineer Rico Guilas said the threatened Gemasan portion of the Arnedo Dike in this town is currently undergoing engineering intervention to arrest the possibility that floodwaters might breach the dike.
Reports from the DPWH reveal that floodwaters with logs and cut boards from the provinces of Aurora and Nueva Ecija added more damage to the already eroded portions of the dike.
Guilas said while the DPWH is waiting for the national budget for the repair of the portion of the dike, the department has started the repair through a "per department" capacity.
This means that DPWH will do the repair on its own and will not have a contractor to do the repairs. This would entail the DPWH to source out loans to fund the project.
"The people of Arayat should rest assured that the DPWH is doing mitigation works as we speak," Guilas said.
Earlier, residents in the threatened area raised fear that the dike might be breached by the rising waters and cause massive flooding in their respective villages.
Chairman Leonardo Salac of Barangay Cupang here appealed to officials at the DPWH for the immediate reinforcement of the dike to prevent the probable loss of lives and properties.
The DPWH has also assessed the situation of the entire Arnedo Dike during a meeting with Third District Representative Dong Gonzales Jr., who met earlier with DPWH officials led by Engineer Alfredo Tolentino.
Gonzales said there is a need to actually rehabilitate the entire stretch of the dike. The congressman said that this would entail an enormous budget. (IOF)
