Irrigation and other concerned government agency officials are planning to conduct cloud seeding to boost the water reserve of Pantabangan Dam.

Rosalinda Bote, department manager of the National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS), said on Wednesday they have met with the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) 900th Air Force Weather Group and Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM) team to plan the operations at the Pantabangan watershed area in preparation for next year’s dry crop season.

Bote said they are eyeing to increase the dam’s water reserve to cater to 90 percent of the agency’s programmed area for the upcoming cropping season.

NIA-UPRIIS irrigates farms in Nueva Ecija and portions of Pampanga, Bulacan, and Tarlac.

As of Wednesday, the water level of Pantabangan Dam is 201 meters above sea level, which is far below its operational rule curb of 218.46 meters.

Bote said NIA-UPRIIS is also striving to augment the irrigation requirements of farmlands within its service area through solar-powered pump projects as well as the implementation of Alternate Wetting and Drying water management technology and diversified cropping. (PNA)