JICA to hand over Imus retarding basin to Cavite government on Tuesday

Japan International Cooperation Agency is set to turnover the Imus retarding basin to the provincial government of Cavite. The flood mitigation project is part of a P3-billion risk management masterplan covering three river systems.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is set to turnover the Imus retarding basin to the provincial government of Cavite on Tuesday, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.

The project, developed by DPWH and JICA under a comprehensive flood management masterplan, aims to help protect Cavite from severe flooding, it said in a statement on Monday.

The JICA-funded project has two off-site retarding basins, which temporarily delay flood run-off before gradually releasing it to the Imus River to help mitigate flood damages. Retarding basins are constructed to temporarily store rainwater during high rainfall or peak flood volume.

The Imus retarding basin is an 84-metre overflow dike, standing an average of three metres in height with about 1.3 kilometres of surrounding dune and 1.1 kilometres of separating dike, information from JICA said. JICA said the Imus retarding basin has a holding capacity of 35 hectares while the Bacoor retarding basin has two temporary storage ponds or basins connected by sluiceway and has a total of nine hectares that will store floodwaters.

The two projects are part of the P3-billion flood risk management project in Cagayan River, Tagoloan River, and Imus River of JICA.