- GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As the drought takes its toll on farms in Negros Occidental, potable water shortage are also being experienced by 5,283 families in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
Affected are 20,223 individuals in 11 of its 19 barangays.
Joeful Sombilon, head of the Himamaylan City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office Research and Planning Section, said that on March 22, water rationing focused on Barangay Mahalang and Cabadiangan, where wells are 80 to 90 percent dried up.
Sombilon said there are areas that have not experienced rain since December last year.
Other barangays affected by the water shortage are Nabali-an, Mambagaton, Su-ay, To-oy, San Antonio, Buenavista, Cabanbanan, Libacao and Carabalan, majority of which are located in upland areas.
Most of the people in these communities depend on shallow and artesian wells for their water needs, he said.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental came to the rescue by providing the city government with water filtration unit in line with its efforts to provide potable water to affected residents.
Sombilon said that the city government has taken measures to address the water shortage, aside from water rationing in most affected villages, by tapping potential water sources.
Based on the reports of the City Agriculturist Office, damage to rice crops has now reached P12.064 million, affecting 381 farmers.
Total affected area of 226.91 hectares were reported in the villages of Nabali-an, Mambagaton, Su-ay, Mahalang, To-oy, San Antonio, Buenavista, Cabanbanan, Libacao, Cabadiangan, Carabalan, poblacion Barangays of 3 and 4.
Sombilon said that they are conducting rapid damage assessment to determine if Himamaylan City is now qualified to declare a state of calamity.
Also, the city government provided seedlings to the affected farmers for backyard gardening.
All over Negros Occidental, damage to crops were pegged by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist at almost P88 million as of March 13. | GB
