Damaged dike also results in fish kill in Obando

A damaged dike and floodgate that resulted in flooding in Valenzuela City has also triggered a fish kill in several fish pens in Obando, Bulacan.

According to Ian Cruz’s report on “24 Oras” on Monday, the damage to the dike allowed large volumes of water from Manila Bay to go through the Cauayan River.

Fishpond owner Ariel Roxas said about two boatfuls of milkfish or bangus were affected by the fish kill.

“Namatay po dahil sa sama ng tubig, nakaladkad ‘yung burak,” Roxas said.

(The fishes died because the water dragged up the mud.)

Barangay employee Boy Pascual said that the damaged floodgate also contributes to flooding in the area. 

“Yung isa pa rito yung sa may parteng [Barangay] Lawa, yung floodgate nila nasira rin kaya doon nagmumula ang tubig,” Pascual said.

(The other cause is the floodgate in Barangay Lawa. It's damaged so the water also comes from there.)

Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian said that he is working with the local government of Bulacan and Obando Mayor-elect Leonardo Valedato to fix the damaged dike.

Gatchalian added that they are aiming to finish repairing the dike by tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Obando Municipal Engineer Elpidio Jesus Atena said the barangays of Tawiran, Lawa, and Paco were affected by the flooding.

Atena noted that the damaged floodgate is being repaired with the help of the city government of Valenzuela, while the damaged dike is also being rebuilt.

“We were trying na maisara namin, sana itong panahon ng low tide within the week,” he added.

(We were trying to close it, hopefully during low tide within the week.)

The dikes in Barangay Tawiran and Paco in Bulacan were damaged in the last week of May.

Authorities tried to repair them but a huge portion of the floodgate fell apart last Friday.

Floodwater in Barangay Wawang Pulo in Valenzuela City sometimes reaches up to waist-level and residents are affected, according to Darlene Cay’s report on Unang Balita on Monday. — Mel Matthew Doctor/BM, GMA News