TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) — From a target of only 350 hectares of rice fields for irrigation by Malinao Dam in Pilar town in May, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is now increasing its programmed area to 1,975 hectares.
This was disclosed by NIA-7 acting operations officer Engr. Maria Donesa Autida during a press conference of the Bohol Cloud Seeding Operations Technical Working Group (CSO-TWG) held at the Panglao Aiport Lounge.
Autida said the increase in target is due to the continued inflow of the Wahig and Pamacsalan Rivers feeding the huge dam, and the additional water from the nine hours of cloud seeding operations which has brought rains over the watershed areas.
“On normal conditions, Malinao Dam is supposed to cover 4,150 hectares of rice fields for irrigation, but with the lack of water due to the drought and the largely reduced inflow from the Wahig and Pamacsalan rivers, NIA’s initial target is 350 hectares, considering that from the drought and with the cracked farmlands, it would need about 10,000 cubic meters of irrigation water per hectare from land preparation to harvest to really get assured of a good crop,” Autida explained.
But with the onset of the rainy season as announced by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA), the CSO TWG has also initiated the cloud seeding operations, seeing the presence of “seedable” clouds now.
After some nine hours of cloud seeding, from 350 hectares, Malinao has already released water to soak 209 hectares to be ready for the land preparation, another 410 hectares already in land preparations, reaching already some 14.93 percent of areas irrigated as over their programmed areas.
In Bayongan Dam in San Miguel, with 3,400 hectares of irrigation coverage, NIA has released water to soak 80 hectares, while 845 hectares are now in different stages of land preparation, based on their June 17 report.
By this, NIA has achieved 27 percent accomplishment of its programmed for irrigation at 1,030 hectares as of May 27.
For Capayas Dam in Ubay, NIA has initially programmed 70 hectares of the entire 923 hectares of dam coverage, but NIA hydrologists said any increase in the rains also mean they can chart again a new target to increase its irrigation coverage. (RAHC/PIA Bohol)
