Puerto Princesa City Water District has started cloud-seeding operations on Friday, April 10, with the help of Philippine Air Force and Fliteline Airways Philippines, Inc. which were contracted to help produce rain that can be used as an augmentation to the current water supply in the city.
PPCWD Spokesperson Jenn Rausa told Palawan Daily News that PAF and Fliteline personnel are working on their own and their only contact with them is through internet and phone calls as they have to follow some protocols with the current situation due to COVID-19.
“Nag-start tayo nung Friday lang and ongoing po ‘yun until now pero medyo… ‘yung cloud seeding operation po natin is medyo nahihirapan po tayo dahil hindi tayo makalapit dun sa mga nag-ooperate na kasamahan natin from Fliteline Airways and Philippine Air Force,” Rausa told Palawan Daily.
“Naka under 14-day quarantine period pa sila pero tuluy-tuloy ang operation nila, and we will do it based sa contract natin na 40 hours so, kung one hour per day s’ya, mga 40 days’ din ang itatagal ng cloud seeding natin,” she added.
As of now, the cloud-seeding operations produced light rains and even though it’s not enough, it will be a big help for water district to produce more water supply for the consumers.
“Sa ilang sorties po na na-conduct natin, nakapag-produce naman po tayo ng light rains dahil ‘yung kaulapan po natin is di ganun ka-seedable kaya mabilis na nalulusaw din ‘yung ulap but nakakatulong s’ya,” Rausa explained.
And even after the enhanced community quarantine period, their operations will continue aside from other measures being done by PPCWD to address the shortage on water supply in the city.
“We are expecting na aabutin ito ng May at tapos na ang ECQ nun and maliban d’yan, we have other measures pa naman to help our consumers like ‘yung water delivery and water injection plus may bago din tayong water rationing schedule dahil ‘yung supply ng tubig natin is talagang nakapahina na at mas mahaba na ang oras ngayon ng water pressure build up na dati two hours, ngayon nasa anim hanggang walong oras na especially sa elevated areas sa bayan,” said Rausa.
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