Piñol: Luzon water crisis not only due to lack of dams
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2019 09:09:10 +0000
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the looming water crisis in Luzon will be brought about by more serious factors than lack of dams and dry spell.
Rivers and creeks are losing water too, he said.
Piñol said over the weekend that Northern Luzon, including Central Luzon and Metro Manila, could face a serious water supply crisis unless something is done about the massive deforestation that resulted in the drying up of creeks and rivers.
He said this as he flew from Manila to Cagayan last week and saw heavily silted and drying up rivers, waterless creeks, and denuded mountains.
“I also saw the very low water level at both La Mesa Dam, which provides water to Metro Manila, and the Magat Dam which is the source of irrigation water for Cagayan Valley,” Piñol said.
“As a farm boy who saw how springs dried up when the trees around these were cut, I must admit that what I viewed from the air scared me no end. Experience taught me that when you cut down trees, the spring water will disappear and once it stops flowing, there is simply no way to bring it back,” he added.
Right now, less than half of Metro Manila, or that being served by Manila Water Co. Inc., is facing a water shortage.
Manila Water particularly faced a shortage in its water supply as the La Mesa Dam in Quezon City reached its critical level, forcing the company to implement weeks of supply interruption among its 1.2-million customers.
Officials of the Ayala-led company are now scrambling to pump up its supply – from opening up additional deep wells to fast-tracking the full capacity operation of its water treatment plant in Cardona, Rizal and a water sharing scheme with Maynilad Water Services Inc. – amid pressure from the government to fulfill its obligation under its concession agreement with Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.
As of yesterday, Manila Water was able to bring back the water supply to 98 percent of its customers. Most of them, according to Jeric Sevilla, head of Manila Water corporate communications, already have eight to 12 hours of water availability at least on the ground floor level.
Last week, Piñol sounded the alarm over a possible water crisis that also threatens the agriculture sector. (Madeleine Miraflor)