CABANATUAN CITY – The government’s rice sufficiency drive is feared to suffer a big blow as almost 50 percentm of the total irrigable rice fields in Nueva Ecija may not be used for production due to the El Nino phenomenon expected next month.
Records from the National Irrigation Administration- Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS) showed that only 50 percent of the 114,406 hectares regularly programmed for dry crop seasons maybe served by the system next season once Pantabangan Dam would reached only 197 meters water elevation on Nov. 30, 2014, which is 15.15 meters below the operation rule curve of elevation of 212.15 meters.
But NIA-UPRIIS operations manager Josephine Salazar said the condition may improve if the second projection which is 207m, is reached on possible maximum infl ows based on rainfall rates brought by Typhoons Glenda, Henry, Inday, and Jose. But since 207m is still 5.15m short of the operational rule curve, Salazar said, “there will be areas to be affected.”
Only 86 percent of the irrigable areas maybe served, she said. “Things are becoming normal,” added Salazar but the biggest threat is the prolonged drought that will hit the country from September 2014 to April of 2015 as pronounced by the government weather bureau Pag-asa.
According to Pag-asa, El Nino is a climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacifi c Ocean, characterized by the warming of the sea surface waters in the central and eastern part which happens every 3-7 years and is mostly associated with droughts and other disturbances in many regions of the world.
Initial assessments showed at least 145 agricultural villages from 25 towns and 3 cities of Nueva Ecija, including portions of Pampanga, Tarlac and Bulacan, will not be served with irrigation water next cropping season. Of these, 35 villages are in seven towns and cities under UPRIIS Division I; 18 villages in four municipalities, Division II; 26 villages in six towns, Division III; 42 villages in six towns and a city, Division IV; and 24 villages in fi ve towns under Division V. Salazar stressed, however, that the NIA and the provincial government of Nueva Ecija are not taking the problems sitting down. “Gov. (Aurelio) Umali has been working hand in hand with NIA to find ways to cushion the impact of El Nino to our farmers,” she said.
On top of the on-going cloud seeding operations – the Bureau of Water and Soil Management has conducted seven of 60 planned sorties as of Saturday – on top of Pantabangan watershed, NIA has scheduled distribution of 88 water pumps to farmers’ organizations and desilting of upstream Penaranda River to boost local flows, she said.
Umali and NIA have also set a water summit among farmers, irrigation and local officials to thresh out actions that may lead to practical and productive distribution of water from Pantabangan and local flows, she explained.
“The present water condition necessitates the move to organize a comprehensive discussion and consultation,” Salazar said. The summit, spearheaded by Umali, is expected to be attended by Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Adviser Francis Pangilinan.
