Pumped storage hydro

Severe tropical storm Crising dumped so much rainwater all over Metro Manila and nearby provinces in Luzon.

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

Crising was the third of the average 20 typhoons that visit our country each year. From the reports of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), at least six individuals perished in flooding, landslides and other typhoon-related incidents in the affected areas. This is not to mention damages to both public infrastructure facilities, houses and other private properties caused by the heavy rains and flooding. Categorized as a severe tropical storm, Crising left the country last Saturday while the habagat or southwest monsoon rains continued.

Yesterday, typhoon Dante entered our country and brought more rains and flooding all over. Let's give credit to where credit is due, to our weather experts from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Thankfully, through 24/7 PAGASA monitoring, the control of water releases from the dams situated in various areas in Luzon were obviously calibrated with the rainfall. The dams are being managed by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). Since we cannot control Mother Nature, the NDRRMC is precisely mandated to ensure this kind of close coordination needed among these agencies whenever there is any typhoon event in our country.

The Bustos Dam in Bulacan has temporarily stopped releasing irrigation water to prevent standing rice crops from getting water logged due to rains from the habagat. It primarily gets its irrigation water supply from Angat Dam, complemented by the local river on its upstream river system.

Last Monday, the La Mesa Dam and Wawa Dam both reached their spill levels, raising the potential for increased flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Both dams have been at critical levels since the weekend due to persistent rains from the southwest monsoon, worsened by heavy rains poured incessantly by Crising.