Water Impoundment for Climate Change - NIA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

URDANETA CITY – The Division Manager A of the Pangasinan Irrigation Management Office of the National Irrigation Administration said that because of the climate change the government should resort to impoundment of water instead of diversion.

Division Manager Renato T. Millan of the
Pangasinan Irrigation Management Office .

Renato T. Millan however said so far all of the dams in the huge province of Pangasinan have been diverting water to rice fields.
He cited the proposed multi-billion pesos Alaminos- Bani-Mabini-Sual  (Alabamas) irrigation project in the town ofMabini and the Balog-Balog Multi-Purpose Dam Project (BBMP) in Tarlac in Tarlac as good example for the impoundment of water.
Aside from being an impoundment of water,  the more than P7 billion Alabamas, according to then NIA Regional Manager in Region 1 John Celeste, would be part of a hydroelectric power generating dam expected to produce 26 million KWH every year that would be erected in Balincaguing River in Mabini town. It also promised to irrigate 11,500-hectares of agricultural land in the said towns.  He said the project was endorsed by Congressman Jesus F. Celeste (1st District, Pangasinan) and the province’s Governor Amado Espino,

“Our dams are mostly for the diversion of water like that irrigation dams in Mangatarem and in Bugallon,” he cited.
Impoundment of water is where rice farmers particularly can have water to irrigate their crops even during the summer season.
He said the problems of the government why impoundment could not be funded like the Balog-balog in Tarlac and Alabamas in Mabini have been due to the opposition of the people there.

“The other problem is the government is willing to fund the other dams but the rate of return is minuscule,” he stressed.
He said expenses for water impoundment entail multi-million pesos if not billion of pesos.
Meanwhile, Millan said that collection of NIA from the farmers last year spiked by 60% from the previous 50% average.
He cited too the status of irrigation development as of June 30, 2013. He said out of the 80,281 hectares ( Has.), 52,335 HAS went to Communal Irrigation System , 23,790 Has. went to National Irrigation System (NIS) and pump/Shallow Tube Wells, 24,855 Has.