SP to NIA-AARIIP: Submit report on irrigation status

LINGAYEN — The Sangguniang Panlalawigan told project manager Reynaldo Mencias of the National Irrigation Administration – Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project (NIA-ARIIP), to submit the programs and projects of the agency to the SP.
The move was necessary to determine the status of the irrigation component projects in the province and P3.8 billion re-regulating pond of the San Roque dam in San Manuel.
The NIA-ARIIP opened on July 23 the west bank gate of a 68-hectare irrigation water reservoir below the San Roque hydro-electric dam and started releasing irrigation waters to more than 12,000 hectares of rice lands in central Pangasinan. The reservoir at the mouth of the Agno River was designed to hold 5.5 million cubic meters.
The east gate of the pond designed to divert water from Agno to eastern Pangasinan remained closed after the National Economic Development Authority put on hold the release of funds for the building of a 10-kilometer main canal from the reservoir to irrigation canals going to eight towns in the sixth district.
Relative to this, Board Member Danilo Uy asked Mencias to address problems resulting from road widening in Urdaneta City that affected irrigation canals in the city.
“Bago kayo mag-road widening, dapat may gawin kayong alternative sa mga daanan ng tubig papunta sa mga farmlands, hindi ‘yung tambak kayo nang tambak,” he said.
Assistant Project Manager of NIA-ARIIP Ceferino Sta. Ana said the DPWH is responsible on the road widening. The NIA-ARIIP is studying plans on how to restore the affected irrigation canals and drainage systems, he added.
Uy also asked Mencias “to check on the irrigation canals in the districts under their management so that farmers may know which are functioning and not-functioning.”
With the re-regulating pond, the province is expected to at least double its rice, corn and vegetable production..
Aside from Pangasinan, San Manuel and Moncada in Tarlac and Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija will get irrigated if the Lower Agno River Irrigation System under the ARIIP project will be completed.
During the launching, Mencias told newsmen that in addition to the P420 million funds allotted to build the east bank canal that was suspended, the project will need another P2.2 billion more to build infrastructure to irrigate another 12,000 hectares more in eight eastern Pangasinan towns, the towns of Bautista and Alcala in the third district and the towns in Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.
BM Liberato Villegas also called the attention of Engr. Frida Nidoy, Chief of NIA in San Fabian, to check on reports that the new line canals in San Fabian were breaking down.(PIO)