Water seen as adequate for irrigation as Angat levels drop

THE National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said that the low levels of the Angat Dam pose no threat to farmers serviced by Angat-Maasim River Irrigation System (AMRIS).

“This does not greatly affect the farmers in Bulacan and Pampanga benefitting from Angat Dam because their farmlands are in terminal drainage wherein the water requirement is less. In the months of March and April, only 5 cubic meters per second (m3/s) is necessary to complete the remaining irrigation requirement for AMRIS,” NIA Deputy Administrator C’zar M. Sulaik said in a statement.

On Sunday, the water level at Angat Dam was 196.29 meters above sea level (masl), almost 16 meters lower than its normal water level of 212 masl.

The NIA said that farmers serviced by AMRIS in Bulacan and Pampanga will need to adjust to a modified cropping calendar.

In partnership with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, the NIA will conduct cloud seeding around the reservoir on March 8. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson