Negros Occ buys P42M dredger

BACOLOD CITY — A state-of-the-art dredging machine, bought by the Negros Occidental government for $1 million (about P42 million) to dredge the rivers of flood-prone areas in the province, has already arrived.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. said the machine was assembled in Sagay City, and operators are now being trained to operate it.

Those with priority in the use of the machine would be Victorias City and E.B. Magalona and San Enrique towns, all of which are often hit by flooding.

The dredging machine will be used to clean the rivers from siltation, which has been the main cause of slow outflow of rainwater resulting in flooding of nearby areas.

The arrangement in the use of the machine is that an LGU using it would shoulder the fuel costs although in the case of poorer LGUs the Capitol can help defray such costs, said Marañon.

The dredger will be under the property of the Provincial Engineer’s Office and would be available for lease, he added. —Danny B. Dangcalan