CONSERVE WATER. Residents of Solsona, Ilocos Norte line up drums and pails in this undated photo as Bureau of Fire Protection personnel conduct water rationing in a barangay in Ilocos Norte. The provincial government has urged the use of rainwater harvesting facilities to address water shortage. (Photo courtesy of BFP Solsona)
LAOAG CITY – The provincial government has begun distributing water containers to areas affected by the drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon to urge residents to conserve water.
In an interview on Tuesday, Marcel Tabije, officer of the provincial disaster risk reduction and management council (PDRRMC), said their office handed out drums and pails upon the order of Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc.
"In Solsona town, at least 400 drums and pails were already distributed to affected residents,” Tabije said, adding that the Bureau of Fire Protection has also begun water rationing in the town.
Solsona and Dingras, in the eastern part of the province, have earlier been placed under a state of calamity due to the prolonged drought.
Over the weekend, Manotoc also urged the 21 towns and two cities of Ilocos Norte to conserve water and use rainwater harvesting facilities to avert a looming water crisis.
In Batac town, 150 small farm reservoirs in Barangays Tabug and Magnuang have been completed in time for the rainy season.
“For those affected by drought, please let me know how can we help,” Manotoc said in an interview on Sunday, adding that the provincial government continues to offer fuel subsidies, water hoses, and water pumps to help farmers.
With short scattered rainfall in some parts of the province, the governor urged residents to conserve water and resort to harvesting rainwater for non-drinking purposes, such as gardening, washing clothes, dishes, and vehicles, and flushing toilets.
In addition, rainwater harvesting also reduces demand for groundwater, which may cause the collapse of the soil where water used to be, thereby helping curb escalating flooding problems in low-lying and flood-prone areas. (PNA)
