Sulu undertakes flood mitigation projects

THE Sulu Provincial Government is implementing a four-phase project aimed to lessen the effect of future disasters and calamities that might hit the province.

Sulu Provincial Engineer Hadjirul Mandangan said the four-phase project include first the cleaning of the drainage, second is the dredging of the canals, third is the deepening and widening the waterways, and fourth is the fencing of the waterways.

Mandangan disclosed the project is set to be completed in two years. Its implementation started in February after Jolo town was hit by a flashflood, which killed five people and rendered hundreds families homeless.

“The flashflood is an eye opener to all of us, we are now continuously updating our information and preparing communities to lessen the effect of future disasters and calamities,” said Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan, who tasked Mandangan to lead the implementation of the project.

Mandangan said that the cooperation of the residents on waste management is very important. "The improper disposal of solid waste is one of the major causes of flooding in the town of Jolo," he said.

He said the Provincial Government has established a dumpsite where to dump the waste that clogs the town's drainage system.

The estimated volume of the waste clogged on the town's drainage system may reach 2,000 trucks, he added.

Recently, Mandangan said Tan has ordered the purchase of additional heavy equipment that include backhoe, dumptruck, payloader and jackhammer to speed up the implementation of the flood mitigation project.