LINGAYEN—Anticipating a calamity that will likely hit the province to be triggered by the prevailing El Nino phenomenon, the provincial government has laid the basis for the creation of a task force to address an impending water crisis.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. said the group will be composed of various government agencies and its main task will be to look into alternative water sources, possibly from various river systems around the province.

Espino, speaking to farmer-leaders during a consultation meeting at the Agricultural Training Center in Sta. Barbara town, said the farmers’ fear that existing irrigation systems may not be adequate to sustain existing farms planted to rice and other crops, will be addressed.

Farmers reported that most of the irrigation facilities turned over to them by provincial and national government about four years ago are no longer reliable and also pointed out that shallow wells may also prove insufficient during the prolonged dry spell.

Espino also called on leaders of the various irrigators’ associations to close ranks and be more judicious in harnessing water from all the available local water reservoirs.

At the same time, he urged farmer-leaders to adopt new and tested farming methods and be selective in the choice of crop varieties to ensure quality harvests.

Informed that some farmer beneficiaries of the government’s comprehensive agrarian program have not been making any headway in improving their lot owing to lack of capital, Espino recommended that farming communities go into planning sessions to thresh out their problems.

He also encouraged them to follow the cropping calendar to avoid problems on irrigation.–LM

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