Benny Antiporda, the administrator of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), has ordered the immediate dredging of the Magat dam reservoir due to the reported siltation in its impounding area.
NIA Administrator said this during his visit to this province for the convergence meeting at the NIA – MRIIS office on Novermber 11, adding that there is a need to dredge the silted part of the Magat dam to allow more water to be stored for irrigation and power generation.
“Let us save the water from pollution; this is not the sole responsibility of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), it is everybody’s concern. Let us work together for a common goal”, Antiporda said.
He urged all concerned agencies in protecting the watershed of the dam for the next generation.
DENR Cagayan Valley Regional Executive Director, Gwendolyn Bambalan, said that she organized the convergence meeting to discuss not just the present situation of Magat Dam but to ensure a holistic partnership towards sustainable watershed and reservoir management.