Malolos—Despite the early exit of Typhoon “Luis” over the weekend, the water levels of the three dams in the province of Bulacan have almost reached its critical spilling level or flood season high water level.
Angat Dam, the biggest water reservoir in Bulacan, is fast approaching its flood spilling level of 210 meters. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Bulacan reported that as of 8 am Monday, its water elevation stood at 209.50 meters, half a meter away from its critical level.
Ipo Dam was monitored at 100.83 meters, exactly 0.17 meters away from its spilling level of 101 meters. The water level at Bustos Dam, meanwhile, stood at 17.49 meters against its spilling level of 17.50 meters.
Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy Alvarado has called an emergency meeting with the National Water Resources Board today (Wednesday) regarding the schedules of release of excess water from Angat Dam’s water reservoir towards Bustos Dam, which has been noted to aggravate the flood problems of Calumpit and Hagonoy towns.
As of presstime, Liz Mungcal, PDRRMO chief, could not confirm whether any of the dams have started releasing water on their spillways, nor has she received the latest bulletins from the operators of the dams.
Angat Dam primarily serves the irrigation needs of farmlands in Bulacan and parts of Pampanga and complements the water level of Ipo Dam that supplies water to La Mesa and Balara for the water needs of Metro Manila.
The governor also has not yet received any advisory when Angat Dam will release excess water to protect the structural integrity of the dam.
Low-lying towns of Bulacan, particularly Bustos, Pulilan, Calumpit, and Hagonoy, suffer from flooding, especially when the dam releases coincide with the high tide in the coastal areas.
Sy-Alvarado last week called on concerned government agencies, particularly the National Power Corp. and the National Water Resources Board, to help address the perennial flooding in the province through the enhancement of the water management of Angat.
The governor expressed belief the only thing that can resolve the present flooding problem in the towns of Hagonoy and Calumpit is proper water management, particularly in the operation of the big turbine of Angat dam. With PNA
“Stop releasing water from Angat dam. There should be a protocol that is to ask first the local governments before releasing water from Angat,” Alvarado said.
“Angat dam continuously using the big turbine and releases big volume of water through a secret passage at the back of its turbine down to Bustos dam,” he added.
The governor said that Angat dam officials should use the four auxiliary small turbines instead of using the big turbine, which generate an oversupply of electricity for business purposes.
“This is not all about commerce and business, this is about the people of Bulacan and consumers of Metro Manila,” Alvarado said.
He said the flood waters in Calumpit, particularly in the villages of San Jose; Calizon; Bulusan; and Santa Lucia remain due to the flood waters coming from the neighboring provinces of Pampanga and Nueva Ecija, and the continuous release of water from Bustos dam.
The said villages in Calumpit and in Hagonoy are still under two feet of floodwater even though it is no longer raining the past few days.
“The water is stagnant due to the back floods from nearby provinces, along with released water from Bustos Dam,” the governor said.
He urged the Angat Dam officials to temporarily stop using the big turbine and use the four auxiliary turbines for three to four days only, to give time for the flood water in Calumpit and Hagonoy to subside.
“We called for the national government to help the provincial government informing Angat Dam officials regarding the matter to resolve flood problem,” Alvarado said.
The governor, also chairperson of the Regional Development Council in Central Luzon, believes that cooperation and proper coordination between Angat dam officials and concerned government agencies will resolve the issue.
“We are not against them, everybody should cooperate and we will support to have a good management,” he said.
Alvarado said the provincial government, and the first and second Bulacan District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways, are currently rehabilitating the roads damaged by the recent heavy rains and floods.
“The long-term solutions to address the flood problems in Bulacan and other parts of Central Luzon are underway but this will take some time and the rainy season is just around the corner. There will be floods, but it can be lessened if dam protocols are properly observed and the discharge of dam waters is properly coordinated with the provincial government through the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office,” he added.
Two years ago, Alvarado suggested the creation of more mini dams in Nueva Ecija and Candaba swamp to prevent flash floods in coastal areas such as in Calumpit and Hagonoy, and make it a source of potable surface water and irrigation.
Angat Dam, located in Barangay San Lorenzo in Norzagaray, Bulacan is a concrete water reservoir embankment hydroelectric dam that supplies 60 percent of water to Metro Manila area. The dam is also part of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system.
Being used by the sub-reservoir of Maynilad Water Corporation, Angat dam also irrigates about 25,000 hectares of farmland in the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga.