Cloudseeding to save fields from El Niño

The El Niño Task Force in Bohol has recommended to Governor Edgar M. Chatto to push through the planned Cloud Seeding Operation (CSO) in the province of Bohol next month in time for the land preparation of the Boholano farmers for the coming to the wet cropping season in the service ares of the four major dams and rainfed areas in Bohol.

According to Leon Parac  Jr., CSO focal person, the task force conducted an urgent meeting last Mprovinarch 29,2019 presided over by Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas in his office at the office of the Provincial Agriculturist aimed to provide updates of El Nino Phenomenon which the country and the province of Bohol have been experienced.

Parac said that one of the agenda was about the plan to conduct CSO in Bohol of which they agreed to formally asked the  governor to push through the making of artificial rain using the already approved funds from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office in the tune of P2.3M.

The bidding of the P2.3M provincial budget was already conducted last December 19,2018, and the winning bidder was the Pegasus Air Services based in Manila.

This amount intended for CSOs is in addition to the P2.5M budget from Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) which was already downloaded to Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO7) and the bidding was already conducted last March 12,2019, and the winning bidder was the Rhoyle Airways based in Negros Oriental.

He said the El Nino Task Force cited several reason after the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical- Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) had reported the forecast models that indicated the weak or even moderate strength El Nino conditions for the March-May season, continuing into June-August and August-October seasons, weakening but not disappearing during October-December 2019 seasons.

Based on PAG-ASA’s outlook for areas potential for dry condition, dry spell and drought the provinces of Bohol, Cebu and Southern Leyte have expressed dry spell starting this month.

The PAG-ASA’s rainfall forecast for the whole country: April 2019- generally way below normal rainfall to below normal rainfall conditions in most parts of the country: May 2019 generally below normal rainfall conditions of Southern Luzon and Visayas while near normal in most parts of Northern Luzon and Mindanao; June 2019- below normal rainfall conditions expected in most parts of Visayas and Mindanao are expected to have near normal rainfall conditions;

July 2019 most parts of Luzon will likely received near- normal rainfall with some patches of above normal rainfall conditions; while near normal rainfall conditions with patches of below normal in Visayas and Mindanao is expected; August 2019- generally below normal rainfall conditions in most parts of Luzon while near normal to above normal in most parts of Visayas and Mindanao are expected; September 2019- generally below normal rainfall conditions in most parts of Luzon while near normal to above normal in most parts of Visayas and Mindanao are expected.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) also reported that the water elevations of Malinao Dam in Pilar, Bayongan Dam in San Miguel, Capayas Dam in Ubay, Talibon Dam in Talibon are getting lower due to below normal rainfall conditions wherein the existing water are not enough for the coming wet cropping season on May-June 2019.

Evelina P. Putong, Principal Engineer C, NIA7 reported that as of March 28,1019, The water elevations of the four dams were as follows: Malinao Dam; actual 44.88m, at full 52.00m., critical 41.00m; Capayas Dam: actual 33.54m, at full 36.50m, critical 30.00m; Talibon Dam: actual 25.87m, at full 30.00m, critical 21.00m.

Engineer Putong said that NIA7 has been conducting the daily monitoring of irrigated areas and strict implementation of water delivery schedule.

To mitigate the impact of El Nino phenomenon NIA 7 requested for cloud seeding for the next cropping as an intervention of the government to the Boholano farmers. (AtoyCosap)