Ferliza C. Contratista
CEBU CITY, April 27
(PIA) -- Cebu City to build P10 million detachment ponds in upland barangays to
avert mild El Nino’s potential water crisis.
Cebu City
Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon in today’s Kapihan sa PIA said,
by third quarter of this year, they will already mount the detachment
ponds.
Seeing the threat of a
water crisis due to a predicted prolonged mild El Nino, the Cebu City
government will pursue the plan of building detachment ponds in the 28 upland
barangays.
Baclayon said there
will be six 100 square meter ponds that will be made in each of the 28 farming
barangays.
“If the water dries
up, this will serve as small farm reservoirs which are way better that natural
springs,” Baclayon added.
Natural springs he
said has more water spillage due to natural gravity.
Baclayon also said
they are in the midst of the design planning and purchasing requests for the
making of the infrastructure while negotiating with the farmers whose lots
are potential locations of the detachment ponds.
“I also advise farmers
to water crops early in the morning and late in the afternoon, not in peak
hours in order to conserve water,” Baclayon said.
He said, his office is
always extending assistance to help farmers cope with the El Nino phenomenon.
The National
Irrigation Authority had reportedly observed that the dams in Central Visayas
are now near the critical level.
It was in 2009 and
2010 where great number of losses to the agriculture sector were noted brought
about by the El Nino. (mbcn/fcc/PIA7-Cebu/with reports from Caren Gabisay, CTU
Devcom Intern)