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New coat of dolomite sand poured over a portion of Manila Bay

A fresh coat of dolomite sand has been placed in Manila Bay early Wednesday morning, Luisito Santos reported for Super Radyo's DZBB.

Several backhoe operators are currently at work in the area pouring and levelling crushed dolomite rocks.

About 500 tons of crushed dolomite rocks were placed last year by the government to spruce up a portion of the Baywalk area in Manila Bay and was opened to the public by September 2020

.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) earlier said that the P389-million project

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will discourage people from littering.

The health department has declared that the rocks are not a health hazard.

“Dolomite in its bulk state is not a known health hazard and dolomite in dust form, like any other dust particle, can lead to symptoms such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and coughing for this is our body's normal reaction to irritants,” the Department of Health said in a statement.

The project was criticized by environmentalists and fisherfolk, saying that the project is not the answer to pollution control in the area.

Citing information from the DENR, Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigner Sonny Batungbacal said that only 15 percent (2.4 million out of 16.3 million) of the water-served population in Metro Manila are connected to a sewerage system. -- BAP, GMA News