MALOLOS CITY—The National Power Corporation (Napocor) is confident that water level at the Angat Dam will soon rise, noting that there are still four months before the year ends.
This developed as the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) technical working group recommended immediate cloud seeding operations over Angat Dam as it remained below the 180 meter critical level. The NWRB met with ranking Napocor officials Wednesday to discuss possible water scenarios in the next few months.
Engr. Rodolfo German, general manager of the Angat River Hydro Electric Power Plant (ARHEPP) of the Napocor expressed optimism that the water level at the dam would soon rise. He said that there are still four months before the year ends and they are hoping for more rainfall to replenish the water at the dam, adding that in the past, water level at the dam rose despite El Nino.
Earlier, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) projected a moderate El Nino to hit the country in the latter part of the year. The weather body is also a member of the NWRB technical working group.
Records from the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) showed that water elevation at the dam dropped to 177.71 meter above sea level on Wednesday from 177.99 masl on Tuesday.
The said elevation is at least eight meters below the usual water level at this time of the year, and more than three meters below the critical 180 meters. When water level at the dam dropped to 180 meters, it marks the time when allocation for irrigation is temporarily cut.
However, the NWRB granted a request of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for 42 cubic meters per second allocation since Saturday for farmers. This did not sit well with concessionaires of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) as water elevation at the dam was below the critical 180 meters when NWRB approved the request.
As this developed, Gladys Sta. Rita, president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Napocor confirmed that NWRB TWG has recommended implementation of cloud seeding operation over the Angat Dam.
Sources said that Sta. Rita is among those that attended the NWRB emergency conference and asked to expedite the bidding process for the recommended cloud seeding operations.
