The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has completed the restoration of the Macañao sluice or barrier gates in Cabatuan, Isabela, after its connecting pins were damaged by heavy monsoon rains last month.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The Macañao checkgate is a water reuse irrigation structure responsible for the irrigation of around 4,882 hectares of agricultural land in the municipalities of Cabatuan, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Naguilian, and part of Cauayan City in Isabela.
The irrigation structure has eight rectangular sluice gates, which can be opened or adjusted to meet the irrigation requirement of its covered area.
However, due to inclement weather conditions, the Macañao, Gaddanan, and Florida creeks, together with five other drainages from San Mateo and Alicia, Isabela, had overflowed, which contributed to the increase in the water volume at Macañao checkgate.
It prompted NIA-Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-MARIIS) Division IV, which has jurisdiction over the Macañao checkgate, to reopen the sluice gates with the assistance of the gatekeeper and village officials and personnel of Barangay. Namnama.
However, NIA said though the plan is to open all eight sluice gates for the speedy flow of water, only five gates were opened.
The pressure of water in the canal had somewhat damaged the connecting pins of the gates, resulting to difficulty in opening the three remaining gates. The opened gates were not enough to speed-up the drainage of rainwater which contributed to the flooding in Namnama.
NIA Administrator Ricardo Visaya assured that the agency has already conducted repair works to ensure that the sluice gates can be opened without delay in case the need to open them arises to prevent flooding on its adjacent areas.
It was noted that the Gaddahan creek, which is the water supplier of Macañao checkgate, is already heavily silted.
NIA said the repair works have been finished and the sluice gates are now completely operational as of Dec. 1.