Dredging operator Hesha Prime Sand and Gravel Aggregates, Inc. has finally begun work on the Padsan River restoration project in the Philippines .
According to the Department Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the contractor has deployed its equipment at the mouth of the Padsan River in Metro Gabu, kicking off Phase 1 of the large-scale Padsan River dredging project.
During today’s official inauguration of the project, Laoag City Mayor Michael Keon shared his excitement about the project saying that after a long period of securing documentary requirements and series of public consultations dredging of the Padsan River is finally on its way.
Over the next three years, the contractor is expected to restore the natural flow of the Padsan River – the largest in the province with a total length of 73.10 kilometers and a drainage basin of 1,320 square kilometers.
The dredging will reduce siltation in the river and increase its flood-carrying capacity. It will also increase the local government’s share of the commercial disposition of the dredged minerals to give back to concerned stakeholders in certain communities.
The Department of Public Works and Highways earlier issued a clearance for the Padsan River flood control and dredging project, under which the dredging depth is limited to two meters and the estimated area to be dredged is around 102 hectares.