Alvarado calls for a cloud seeding to replenish dwindling water supply at Angat dam

CITY OF MALOLOS – In a bid to replenish the dwindling water supply at the Angat dam, Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado on Wednesday called on the concerned government agencies to conduct their cloud seeding operations now when there are still plenty of clouds that can induce rains within the dam’s watershed areas and not wait for the November, December clouds.

The governor said that cloud seeding operations are usually being done during the summer months when there are few clouds to seed.

“Sometimes, the cloud seeding operations are inducing rains but most of the times it (man-made rains) would fall to the lowland areas of Malolos City and the coastal areas of Hagonoy, Paombong and Calumpit and not at the Angat dam reservoir where it is needed,” Alvarado said.

At present, the governor said that the water supply at Angat dam should now be replenished because the water elevation (as of Thursday morning) was only 189.60 meters when it should at least be at the 200 meters mark.

The spilling level of Angat dam is at 210 meters and its critical (very low) level is at 180 meters.

He also said that while farmers are still receiving irrigation waters from the Bustos dam, it is also high time to look for long term solutions to address the effect of the long dry spell known as “El Nino” weather phenomenon.

One of this he said is the conversion of the Bayabas river into a dam which waters snakes through the reservoir of Bustos dam and usually releases it to the Angat river.

“If we could hold the water flowing from the upstream Bayabas river by building a dam, there will be a stock supply of water for irrigation during the dry season,” he said.

Alvarado also said that fisher folks in Hagonoy and in the coastal areas of Bataan are hoping that two more typhoons might still come before the second week of October.

“The southwest monsoons could still trigger rains that can replenish the dwindling water supply at Angat dam. This could at least become a buffer stock for the water needs of Metro Manila when the dry season comes,” he said.

Angat dam supplies 97 percent of the water needs of Metro Manila residents.