NIA banks on rains as Angat Dam level dips further

WATERWAY REHAB: A backhoe desilts an irrigation canal at Barangay Calantipe in Apalit, Pampanga, on June 26 to improve water flow ahead of the wet cropping season. —Photo from the National Irrigation Administration

SAN RAFAEL, Bulacan, Philippines — The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has put contingency measures in place to help farmers cope with dwindling irrigation water this wet cropping season as the water level at Angat Dam continues to fall, but officials said only sustained heavy rains or a strong typhoon can provide a lasting solution.

Engineer Christian Manalo, NIA Region 3 director, said Monday that shallow tube well (STW) pumps installed near creeks and irrigation canals are available to augment water supply for farmers in Bulacan and Pampanga who rely on Angat Dam. However, he acknowledged that the facilities are insufficient to meet irrigation requirements for the entire wet cropping season.

“What our farmers really need is abundant rainfall. Strong rains — or even one strong typhoon — would be enough for Angat Dam to recover from its current depleted level,” Manalo told the Inquirer.

Article continues after this advertisement