MALOLOS CITY, Philippines, July 10 ----- As the nation continues to sizzle due to El Niño, water level at the Angat Dam has receded below the minimum operating level, prompting authorities to announce cuts in water allocation for irrigation and Metro Manila users.
Records from the Bulacan provincial disaster risk reduction management office showed water elevation of the dam at 179.94 meters as of 8 a.m. on July 8, against 180.41-meter water level the day before. The minimum operating level is 180 meters. Sevillo David Jr., executive director of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), said the drop in the water level of the dam below the 180-meter mark would require modification of water allocation, as agreed upon by the board.
“The Board decided to modify the allocation if the level of Angat Dam falls below the minimum operating level of 180 meters. For MWSS (Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System), 48 cubic meters per second (CMS), NIA (National Irrigation Administration) up to 20 CMS until the end of July. This allocation will still be reviewed based on the development of the level of the dam,” David said in a text message. Allocation for Metro Manila concessionaires Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc. was at 50 CMS. For irrigation, the water allocation was 28.5 CMS. Earlier, David said that as protocol, Metro Manila would be given priority in water supply if the Angat water level falls below 180 meters.
With Angat Dam’s elevation now below minimum operating level, some 25,000 hectares of rice lands in Bulacan and Pampanga are at risk of getting smaller water allocation for irrigation. On June 16, the NWRB approved 40 CMS water allocation for Bulacan and Pampanga farmlands. With the specter of smaller allocation for irrigation, farmers are worried about its effect on crops this planting season. The NWRB said farmers need to seek clearance should they decide to install shallow tube wells to augment their irrigation supply, David said.
The NWRB has already notified the MWSS, NIA and the two water concessionaires of the possible water allocation reduction even before Angat Dam’s water level dipped below the normal operating level. “This is immediate. We issued an advisory the other day to stakeholders, particularly our operators, including MWSS and NIA. Once the level dropped below 180 meters, the new schedule of allocation of 48 CMS and 20 CMS became effective,” he said over radio dzBB. David noted that further allocation cuts or a return to normal allocation would depend on weather conditions, as the NWRB wants to avoid similar situations like in 2019 when Angat Dam’s level dipped to less than 160 meters. “That’s why while it’s still early, we make adjustments in allocation in order to preserve and maintain our current supply of water in reserve like the one at Angat Dam,” he explained. He added the onset of El Niño has made water conservation more urgent. “Our target is to keep our current supply so we’ll be prepared for El Niño before the end of the year. During El Niño, we can have enough supply for the needs of our countrymen,” he said.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) earlier issued the same call as the country faces a severe dry spell. PAGASA said the impact of El Niño would be felt by December this year until next year.
Source: philstar.com
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