OBANDO, Bulacan–The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed during the weekend the repair of the collapsed dike in this town, a week after almost half of the town had been hit by flash flood because of high tide.
A contractor firm which repaired the 40 meters damaged gravity wall-dike in Paco-Tawiran hastily finished the installation of sheet piles as replacement based on the request of George Santos, DPWH Second Engineering District head.
The almost 10 year old Paco-Tawiran dike made of escombro fill materials seated on bamboo piles collapsed last May 24 is one of the vital flood control structures in the town.
The Paco-Tawiran dike is part of the Valenzuela Obando Meycauayan (VOM) project of the DPWH in 2013.
A 5.2 ft. high tide last June 18 and the June 15 collapse of Lawa flood gate caused five of eleven barangays (villages) in the town– Lawa, Paco, Tawiran, portions of Hulo and San Pascual to be hit with up to more than 1 ft. flash floods that day (June 18).
Mayor-elect Councilor Leonardo Valeda said the replacement for Lawa flood gate he asked from Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian had also been installed before the weekend.
Valeda said water lilies including plastic wastes from the rivers and the Manila Bay receded to the streets during the flash flood.
