The dredging operation at the heavily silted Calmay River has so far excavated some 3,600 cubic meters of silt and sediment equivalent to 224 truckloads after just four weeks.
This was bared during a meeting called by Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and City Engineer’s Office.
The dredging of the city’s rivers spearheaded by the DPWH will greatly reduce flood occurring in Dagupan’s downtown and adjacent area as it will result in faster flow of water to the Lingayen Gulf from the upland.
The silt collected by the brand new Watermaster Classic IV and the dredge Visaya was deposited in private lots from where it can be sourced out as filling materials for flood-prone areas.
Jose dela Cruz, chief of the Equipment Management Division of DPWH Region I, said the dredging operation is continuing.
Meanwhile, the repair of another DPWH dredging machine that arrived is expected to be completed by the end of June.
After this, it will join the two other dredging machines and with the three simultaneously operating, expected to be collected are more than 250,000 cubic meters of silt in a year.
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Press Release, June 11, 2014