IPINAG-UTOS ng Department of Agriculture ang pagsasagawa ng cloud seeding upang madagdagan ang tubig sa La Mesa Dam.
Ayon kay Agriculture Sec. Manny Piñol inatasan niya si DA Operations Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan na magpatupad ng cloud seeding operations.
“Usec Cayanan was also directed to coordinate with the Philippine Air Force for the cloud-seeding operations over Bulacan, Pampanga and Rizal to fill up La Mesa Dam,” ani Piñol.
Sinabi ni Piñol na bago matapos ang 2018 ay naglagay na ng pondo para sa cloud seeding sa mga Regional Offices at Philippine Air Force bilang bahagi ng paghahanda sa El Nino.
Lumipat si Piñol sakay ng helicopter patungong Isabela at Nueva Ecija upang tignan ang buying operation ng National Food Authority.
“I asked Archie Po, a friend and motorcyle-riding buddy of President Rody Duterte whose R44 helicopter I borrowed for today’s trip, if the cloud formations were sufficient for a cloud-seeding operations,” ani Piñol. “Archie said the cloud formations may not be heavy enough for a cloud seeding operations but he said that continuous monitoring should be conducted.”
Sinabi ni Piñol na dapat ay tama ang timing para bumagsak ang ulan sa La Mesa dam.
Dahil mababa na ang lebel ng tubig sa La Mesa dam marami ng lugar sa Metro Manila ang hindi nabibigyan ng suplay ng tubig.