Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija (PNA File Photo)
CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – Torrential rains brought by Typhoon Egay helped raise the water level at Pantabangan Dam which increased by 2.5 meters on Friday but still below their reservoir operation target.
Engr. Rosalinda Bote, department manager of the National Irrigation Administration - Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS) said the dam’s water elevation as of 7:45 a.m. is 185.35 meters above sea level which is slightly higher from 183 masl on July 24 or before Typhoon Egay.
However, this is still a far cry from the dam's operation rule curve of 208.18 meters and the spilling level of 221 meters, Bote explained.
She expressed hope that the dam can be at least 210 meters by Nov. 30, this year to be able to fully serve its service area during the dry crop season.
"Kahit umabot pa ng (even if it reaches to) more than 210 so much the better," Bote said in an interview.
The zoned earth-filled Pantabangan Dam is the main source of irrigation water for rice fields of over 140, 000 hectares in Nueva Ecija and some parts of adjoining Central Luzon provinces.
Amid the threats of the El Niño phenomenon, Bote said the NIA-UPRIIS has been coordinating with farmers for alternative measures.
"Minimum of 210 meters. Pero kung di aabutin ay meron hindi masasama sa program ng dry crop 2024, yun ini- encourage namin mag-diversify (But if it cannot reach, there are those farmers that will be included in the dry crop 2024 program, they are those farmers whom we encouraged to diversify),” she added.
In collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, the NIA-UPRIIS is encouraging farmers to plant high-value crops for those who will be unable to receive irrigation diversion requirements.
Other mitigating measures that the NIA-UPRIIS is continuously adapting to cope with the low supply from its main source of irrigation water include alternate wetting and drying methods, rotational scheme in the water delivery and distribution of irrigation water, and installation of solar-powered pumps for drainage reuse and tail-end service area, among others. (PNA)
