DPWH: Shallower floods in Metro

Instead of waist-deep floods expect only calf-deep waters this rainy season.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials promised "lesser" floodings in Metro Manila this year, with the multi-billion projects the agency undertook.

With yesterday’s torrential rains ushering in the rainy season, DPWH National Capital Region (NCR) director Salvador Pleyto said their efforts to declog and reduce silt in the sewers summer may finally pay off.

"We conducted intensified declogging operations during the summer and this was continuous, but I would just like to emphasize that our jurisdiction only covers national roads," Pleyto told The STAR. Secondary roads are under the jurisdiction of local governments.

The DPWH officials said road projects designed to raise the road level of flood-prone areas in Metro Manila, and even parts of EDSA, have been completed while many more are along the way.

Pleyto revealed that out of Metro Manila’s total land area of 60,600 hectares, around 20-percent or about 13,000 hectares are flood-prone and only 6,000 hectares of this are serviced by the 15 pumping stations.

"More projects and pumping stations are to be put up for flood-prone areas but some of them will take until 2004 to complete," he said.

During yesterday’s rain, The STAR noted that sewers in Manila came close to overflowing. Last year’s heavy rains rendered many streets impassable and thousands of commuters stranded because of deep floodings.

Pleyto said that although floodings would continue, frequency and depths compared to the previous year, will surely be less. – Jose Aravilla