Davao City to complete drainage projects in 2012

DAVAO CITY MAY 7 (PIA)- The City Government of Davao is bent on completing the nine drainage project worth P54-million for this year.

According to Andrew Lepardo of the City Engineer’s Office-Drainage Division among these projects include drainage improvements in Ponciano, Quimpo Boulevard, Royal Valley, Jade Valley and Matina Pangi. Areas identified as flood prone.

The Mayor wanted these projects to be implemented ASAP. Lepardo said.  The drainage infrastructure fund is part of the P546-million Supplemental Budget I passed in 2011.

Among the large drainage projects is the P10-million improvement project in Quimpo Boulevard, a notoriously flood prone area.

Lepardo said that based on studies, the there is only one inlet in the area hence the reason for the quick build-up of water that leads to flooding. Under the drainage improvement project they adding nine more inlets plus enlarged the outflow of water, from 24 inches diameter culverts they are putting in larger culverts 48-inches in diameter.

Plus in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) some of the water will flow into the Davao Gulf, in the past there was only one outflow of water that leads to the Davao River.

Meanwhile City Planning and Development Office head Robert Alabado said that the city needs main line or very large canals to alleviate flooding in some areas.

According to a Dutch consultant who studied Davao City’s flooding problems the city would need to install more main drains particularly in the barangays of Dumoy, Buhangin and Lizada. These main drains would then flow out to the gulf.

However Alabado said that these main drains are so expensive to build since aside from the expenses of the infrastructure, one would have to buy land and relocate people for the project to materialize. (PIA 11/RG Alama)