ROXAS City – The Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project seen to address the perennial flooding problem in Capiz got its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional director Jose Roberto Nuñez revealed this during the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office’s (PDRRMO) thanksgiving ceremony last week.

Having secured the ECC, the multimillion project can now proceed with its detailed engineering design.

“The construction activities and the groundbreaking will happen in the third quarter of 2019,” said Nuñez.

According to the OCD regional head, the National Irrigation Administration informed him about the granting of the ECC last month.

In January, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council approved a resolution requesting its national counterpart to fast-track the implementation of the river project.

Aside from addressing the flood problem, the river project will also serve as a source of water for irrigation, potable water and hydroelectric power, among others. (With a report from PIA/PN)