FB MINEX FB MINEX FB MINEX Twitter Minex ISSUU Minex Press Reader Minex YouTube Minex

Friday, March 6, 2020

P73-million water projects for Zambo released

THE NATIONAL Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) awarded over P57 million for the conduct of a feasibility study of the Zamboanga impounding dam project on top of a P16 million grant from the Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig Para sa Lahat (Salintubig) program on the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).


The NEDA fund will be used for aerial surveys, firming up of dam locations, identification of borehole locations and subsurface geotechnical investigations which were already done to explore the viability of the project that will help ensure water security in the coming decades.

While the Salintubig program is for water system projects in eight barangays with the Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD) as the servicing entity together with the City Planning and the City Engineer’s Office.

With the perennial shortage of water supply in Zamboanga, the local government and the ZCWD are now in talks with municipal officials of Sibuco in the neighboring province of Zamboanga del Norte for possible water interconnection, according to Elmeir Apolinario, head of the Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

Apolinario said Barangay Malayal in Sibuco has a very good source of water supply that can be tapped and interconnected into Zamboanga’s water system.  A group of city officials has already visited the area and met with Sibuco municipal officials to discuss the possibility of water interconnection and how it can benefit both areas.

The idea, he said, is patterned after Singapore which for years has relied on Malaysia for its water needs.

Singapore has been importing water from Johor, under two bilateral agreements. The first agreement was officially signed on October 1961 and expired in August 2011. The second agreement was signed on September 1962 and will expire in 2061. A maximum of 250 million gallons of water a day can be drawn from the Johor River under the agreement. Imported water can supply up to 60% of Singapore's water needs.

Apolinario said aside from water interconnection, the Zamboanga City government and the ZCWD are also building on the possibility of developing the 70-hectare Bog Lake in Upper Calarian. He said water samples have already been taken for laboratory testing.

The local government is also pursuing the completion of the Lapakan Water System project amounting to P3 million and the Cahumban Water System project worth P76 million and awarded to the ZCWD. Plans for the construction of small impounding dams are already being finalized, according to Apolinario. (Zamboanga Post)


Like Us on Facebook: The Mindanao Examiner
Like Us on Facebook: The Zamboanga Post
Follow Us on Twitter: Mindanao Examine
Mirror Site: Mindanao Examiner Blog
Digital Archives: Mindanao Examiner Digital
Media Rates: Advertising Rates


No comments:

Post a Comment