NIA7: Cloud Seeding needs now

The Cloud Seeding Operations (CSOs) is badly needed now to save the reproductive stage of the standing crop or for the sustenance of the planted rice in the province of Bohol.
Engr. Evelyn Putong from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) 7 said that it is too late for the reproductive stage of standing crop if the CSOs will be conducted on the mid of September because at this stage it needs enough supply of water in order to produce good grains.
Conducting CSOs beyond on the first week of this month is no longer useful for the standing crop now because the rice paddies have already cracked and the crop would already die at that time, she concluded.
Engr. Putong disclosed that the releasing of irrigation water from the Talibon Dam in barangay Zamora, Talibon to the service areas in town has already been stopped because the water elevation is now near to the critical level of which the actual level has registered at 21.89 meters (ms.), critical-21.00 ms. and at full 30.00 ms.;
The Malinao Dam in Pilar, actual-148.32ms, critical-146.5ms., at full 152ms.; Bayongan Dam in San Miguel, actual – 43.44 ms., critical – 41.00 ms., at full 52ms.; while in the Capayas Dam in Lumangog, Ubay, actual – 33.48 ms., critical-30.00 ms., at full-36.5 ms.,
As to when the CSOs to be conducted again in Bohol, the ball now is on the hands of the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO7) as the fund in the tune of P2.5 million intended for Bohol CSOs from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) was already downloaded to DA-RFO7 and the project had already bidded sometimes in March this year.
Leon Parac Jr., cloud seeding focal person said that the formal letter from the El Niño Taskforce requesting to implement the operations in Bohol had already sent to DA7 Executive Director Atty. Salvador Diputado.
Parac said attached in the letter was the resolution from the Federated Irrigators Association of the Malinao Dam covered service areas seeking to implement the CSOs in Bohol the soonest possible time in order to save the reproductive stage of standing crop.
He said that the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBH) now through the Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) has kept on doing a constant follow-up.
Mary Grace Baay also from NIA 7 during the Provincial Coordinating Committee on Agri-Fishery (PCCAF) meeting last Wednesday held at the Constrell Pension House, New Calceta, Cogon, Tagbilaran City reported that of the areas covered by National Irrigation System (NIS) in the 8,701.89 hectares (has.) of irrigated areas they planned to be planted, only 3,899.23 has. have realized or at 44% because of insufficient supply of water among the dams.
Baay said in Malinao Dam, of the 4,016 has. they programmed only 2,069.23 has. have planted; Bayongan Dam of the 3,047.00 has. only 911.00 has. hove planted; Capayas-out of the 858.00 has. only 620 has. have planted; while the Talibon Dam – only 299.00 has. have planted out of the 780.89 has. they programmed.
Gerry Binangbang from Phillippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on the same PCCAF meeting reported that based on their data gathered the standing crop to be harvested within this month of September have an area of 1,258 has. of which the 988 has. are irrigated and 270 has. are rainfed; while the rice lands that were planted last August and to be harvested on November have an area of 19,194 has. of which the 9,337 has. are irrigated and 9,857 has. are rainfed.
Leonard Samar from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) reported that the Weak El Niño has ended last August and the weather conditions from this month up to November are forecasted as normal.
However, he clarified that we could only experience light to moderate rains and we could not expect to experience heavy rains to happen.
Samar said the month of December is forecasted as above normal of which we would expect to experience heavy rains. (Atoy Cosap)

CAPTION:
WATER ALMOST IN CRITICAL LEVEL. The Talibon Dam in Zamora, Talibon covered the service areas in town has temporarily stopped for releasing of irrigation water to the service areas because the water elevation is near to critical level. The operation resumes once the stocked water has been refilled by rains.