Siltation triggers Agno overflow
Residents and barangay officials responded by building temporary gabion structures to contain the water and limit further damage.
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Residents and barangay officials responded by building temporary gabion structures to contain the water and limit further damage.
BOKOD, Benguet — An aging flood control structure in Sitio Bangao, Barangay Ambuklao, failed to prevent the Agno River from overflowing as heavy siltation and accumulated sand and gravel raised the riverbed.
Ambuklao Punong Barangay Reynaldo B. Tello said the flood barrier, built in 1997, had served the community for decades. However, excessive sediment washed downstream raised the riverbed, allowing water levels to rise above the structure.
More than a month of continuous rains brought by the southwest monsoon, or habagat, further increased the river’s flow and volume. The overflow inundated several homes and properties along the riverbanks.
Residents and barangay officials responded by building temporary gabion structures to contain the water and limit further damage.
Barangay, municipal and provincial officials have asked relevant national agencies to conduct a technical assessment of the Agno River and its flood control infrastructure. Tello said the assessment would determine appropriate engineering interventions to protect remaining properties in the affected area.
The barangay government had earlier petitioned President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for dredging, desilting, river channelization and upgraded flood control systems along the Upper Agno River.
Tello stressed the urgency of the request, noting that many affected residents are descendants of families displaced by the construction of the Ambuklao Dam Reservoir.
He also proposed regulated dredging to remove accumulated sand and gravel from the river.
The barangay has asked the Benguet Provincial Board to issue a resolution granting a tax exemption or tax holiday on gravel extraction in the area to encourage private-sector participation in dredging and river-clearing efforts.
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