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By PIA Bohol

The dry season brought about by the El Niño is now visible in the receding water of Bohol’s dams, including the gigantic Malinao Dam, reports irrigation regional director Engr. Modesto Membreve recently.
 
Membreve, who has been closely monitoring the levels of three major dams here has said water has neared the critical levels in Malinao.
 
Over this, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has recommended the immediate cloud seeding operations for the dam watershed catchment to regain the water to sustainable levels in the dams to be able to assist farmers.
 
NIA, who has started water rationing operations to equitably serve its irrigators organizations have prioritized Malinao dam watersheds in the proposed cloud seeding operations, Malinao having the largest irrigation served area in Bohol at 4,700 hectares.
 
Even then, the dry spell has forced farmers to be selective in planting only about 4,000 hectares he said.
 
Governor Erico Aumentado, on the other hand has other things in mind.
 
Asked if he would put Bohol under a state of calamity with the drought being felt, Gov. Aumentado said he would first convenene the Provincial Disaster Coordinating  Council (PDCC) on Monday.
 
He assures that the meeting would generate a collegial decision on what to do to dampen the effects of the long dry spell here.

While supporting the NIA recommendation for cloud seeding, Aumentado added he would want entire Bohol to be included in the coverage.

Last week, news reports have said that several farmers in Catigbian and Sierra Bullones have started processing their crop insurance claims after the El Nino has ruined their farms.

At the Governor’s Reports, Gov. Aumentado said he has met with Agriculture acting secretary Bernie Fondevilla, who used to be the El Nino task force coordinator and now Secretary Arthur Yap replacement.

Fondevilla has accordingly vowed to look into the NIA recommendation and added he would consider the governor’s cloud seeding concerns. (PIA)

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