Cloud seeding ops resume today

The Cloud Seeding Operations (CSOs) in Bohol will resume today after the bad weather conditions that affected the province of Bohol.
This was agreed during the Technical Working Group (TWG) on El Niño and La Niña Task Force CSOs assessment meeting last Monday presided over by TWG action officer Dr. Larry M. Pamugas in his office at the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA).
The El Niño and La Niña Task Force is composed by the representatives from the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the OPA and Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and Bohol-Agricultural Promotion Center (B-APC).
Engr. Irish Eumag, Engr. II, Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM) said that of the 45-hour contract CSOs sponsored by the Provincial Government of Bohol ( PGBH ), PAG-ASA, Philippine Air Force (PAF), BSWM, and the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO)7 using the vacuum dried salt (25-200 microns) and 30 microns powder salt, only 2.32 hours had been consumed in the two seeding flights conducted delast November 8-9, 2018 at one seeding flight each day.
Engr. Eumag explained that last two weeks the scheduled CSOs were cancelled due to high pressure or the presence of the localized thunderstorms last Nov.10-11, 2018, Low Pressure Area Weather System ( Nov. 12-15, 2018), pilot emergency ( Nov. 16-18, 2018 ), and last week caused by the Tropical Depression “ Samuel “.
She said that on the first CSO conducted last Nov. 8, 2018 over Malinao Dam, Carmen, Batuan, Dagohoy, Bayongan Dam, Pilar and San Miguel, the moderate rains were experienced in Pilar, Bilar, Sikatuna and Tagbilaran City while light rain was experienced in Carmen.
On Nov. 9, 2018 CSO to the seeding locations over San Miguel; San Pacual, Ubay; Dagohoy; Pilar; Sierra-Bullones and Alicia, the moderate rains were experienced in Batuan and San Miguel while light rains were observed in Balilihan and Carmen.
She explained that the conduct of the CSOs mainly depends on the good weather condition, presence or formation of seedable clouds and wind direction.
Engr. Donesa Autida from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) reported on their weekly monitoring of the four major dams in Bohol and they have noticed an increase in water level elevations.
She said that on Nov. 5 monitoring, the water elevation of Bayongan Dam in San Miguel was registered at 45.02 meters (ms.), Malinao Dam in Pilar (151.88 ms.), Capayas Dam in Ubay (35.71ms.), Talibon Dam in Talibon (27.2 ms.). While on Nov. 12, the Bayongan registered at 46.65 ms., Malinao (151.72ms.), Capayas (35.71 ms.) and Talibon (27.36 ms.).
And on Nov. 18, 2018 monitoring, the actual water elevation of Bayongan was 46.40 ms., Malinao (151.37), Capayas (35.89 ms.), and Talibon (27.51 ms.).
The registered decrease of water level of the Malinao Dam happened because the irrigation water was diverted to Bayongan Dam and consequently released to the service areas for land preparation.
The TWG on El Niño and La Niña Task Force said that even though the province lately experienced rainfall brought about by Low Pressure Area and Tropical Depression, Bohol still needs the CSOs so that the water elevations of the four major dams would reach to spill elevations.
Based on the Nov. 21 monitoring after the Tropical Depression Samuel, the actual water elevation of Bayongan was 42.42ms at par with the spill elevation of 52 ms., Malinao at 151.78ms. against 152 ms., Talibon at 27.51 ms. against the 30 ms. spill elevation, except for Capayas Dam where water level is full at 36.50 ms.
Dr. Pamugas instructed the PAF personnel who accompanied the two pilots in the operations to dispense salt over the seedable clouds in any areas in Bohol and not to be selective only over the watershed areas as long as it would produce artificial rain that pours in the land areas in Bohol to ensure that the Boholano farmers could plant rice, corn and other agricultural products.
The 45-hour CSOs will be conducted in two rounds. The first round ran from Nov. 8, 2018 and supposed to end on Nov. 18; while the second round should have been conducted from Nov. 19 to Nov. 27, 2018. Another set of 42-hour CSOs sponsored mainly by the PGBh is set to start soon.
The aircraft from Royhle Airways based in Dumaguete City has been used in the operations, piloted by Captain Madhu Pulinyankalath and Captain Rachul Nair. (Atoy Cosap)

CLOUD SEEDING ASSESSMENT MEETING. The Technical Working Group (TWG) on El Niño and La Niña Task Force in the Province of Bohol chaired by Dr. Larry M. Pamugas is conducting cloud seeding operations assessment meeting last Monday at the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) to assess the impact of the operations to the water elevations of the four major dams in Bohol to ensure water supply for the next dry copping season.