The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office IV is giving top priority to two city creeks and tributaries’ dredging operations to minimize water pollution and flooding in some areas of Iloilo City.
City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog announced that the Water Master dredging machine bought by DPWH has already arrived in the city last September to start cleaning up the creeks and the Iloilo River.
Dredging will start by May 2013 since the machine will have to be assembled first for about three months and will be tested with the dry run by DPWH. About 1,000 informal settlers living the areas of two creeks will be relocated by March 2013.
Priority creeks are the Dungon Creek, stretching about eight kilometers through 13 barangays from Jaro to La Paz, and the 7.8 kilometer Calajunan Creek passing through three barangays in Mandurriao district up to the Iloilo River.
The city government and city environment and natural resources office is spearheading the rehabilitation and restoration of the Iloilo River tributaries starting with the Dungon Creek costing some P2.6 million.
A total of 398 informal settlers and their families from Dungon Creek will be relocated to the Sooc relocation site while more than 200 informal settlers from the Calajunan Creek will also be relocated the city government’s owned lot and relocation sites in Sooc and in Lanit, Jaro district.
Mabilog said the main dredging contention is to remove thick silt on two creeks that impedes the flow of water to the river thereby resulting to flooding in low lying areas and the high water pollution from sewage discharges and high coliform level with low dissolve oxygen. Illegal structures along the creeks also aggravates the stagnancy of water.
