Cloud seeding end, add water to dams
The 42-hour contract of cloud seeding operations (CSOs) over agricultural and watershed areas in Bohol completed Tuesday bringing light, moderate to heavy rains in the different target areas in the province.
The CSOs started June 19, 2019 and implemented by Pegasus Air Services, Inc.
Leon Parac Jr., CSO focal person bared that the remaining three hours of the operations were completely conducted last Tuesday after the weather cooperated.The first sortie targeted the areas of Sierra-Bullones, Danao, and Malinao Dam resultingto the pouring of light to moderate rains in the towns of Danao and San Miguel.
In the second sortie discharging vacuum salt above the areas of Sierra-Bullones, Pilar and Malinao Dam, the light to moderate rains were experienced in Sevilla, while heavy rains happened in Pilar, Sierra Bullones, Bilar, Carmen, Batuan and Jagna; and in the last sortie targeting the areas of Sierra-Bullones, Pilar and Malinao Dam, the heavy rains poured in Sierra-Bullones, Carmen, Batuan, Bilar, Ubay and Alicia, Parac said.
He said that there were times that the operations were suspended due to Tropical Storm “Falcon,” however last Tuesday the weather cooperated, thus the three sorties were conducted only in one day to complete the remaining hours of the contract.
NIA 7 THANKS BOHOL GOVERNMENT
Engr. Evelyn Putong from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA)7 during the Provincial Coordinating Committee on Agri-Fishery (PCCAF) meeting expressed thanks and gratitude to the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) for conducting the CSOs that really help to augment the water levels of the major dams in Bohol especially at the Malinao Dam in Pilar, Bohol. The meeting last Wednesday was held at the Reynas Garden and Haven, New Calceta, Cogon, Tagbilaran City.
Putong said that as of July 30, 2019, the water elevation of Malinao Dam covering the service areas of Pilar, Dagohoy, Alicia, San Miguel and Ubay had an actual level of 148.77 meters (ms.), critical -146.5ms. and at full-152.00 ms.; Bayongan Dam with the service areas of San Miguel, Ubay and Trinidad: actual – 44.06 ms., critical – 41.00ms, and at full-52.00 ms.;
The Capayas Dam that covered the service areas in Ubay had 34.63ms. – actual, 30.00ms. – critical, and 36.50 ms. – at full; and the Talibon Small Reservoir Irrigation System serving only the town of Talibon had 22.90 ms.-actual, 21.00ms. – critical, and 30.00 ms. at full.
Putong said that they continue to implement the alternate welting and drying as they also conducted the daily monitoring of irrigated areas and strict implementation of water delivery schedule.
At Malinao Dam, the initial water delivery for the second crop upstream area was on May 6, 2019, and as of July 30, 2019, a total of 2,026 hectares (has.) were irrigated out of 4,016 has. operational and the remaining area will depend on the available rainfall and the storage of the dam, she said.
In Bayongan Dam based on the available water only 950 has. could be irrigated out of 3,047 has. operational of which the delivery of water started last June 17, 2019; while the Capayas Dam had 320 has. irrigated out of 858 has. operational and the Talibon Dam had the total irrigated areas of 452.72 has. out of 781 has. operational.
Putong disclosed that along with this situation, they still encouraged the farmers to plant corn, mongo or other diversified crops with less irrigation water requirement. (AtoyCosap)
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. The cloud seeding operations (CSOs) team (left photo) composed of the personnel of Philippine Air Force, Bureau of Soils and Water Management, and Office of the Provincial Agriculturistafter the completion last Tuesday of the 42-hour operations of making artificial rain that help elevate the water levels of the major dams in Bohol especially the Malinao Dam in Pilar (right photo),highly expected to help farmers in the planting of rice at the irrigated and rain-fed areas in Bohol.
Foto JUN PARAC
