La Mesa on red alert level; Magat, Binga dams keep gates open
-A A +AFriday, September 21, 2012
MANILA -- Red Alert level was raised in La Mesa dam in Novaliches, Quezon City on Friday as rains on Thursday night caused the dam's water level to reach 79.93 meters or near the spilling level of 80.15 meters, the state weather bureau said.
“On Thursday, nasa 78.95 meters and water level. Umulan kagabi kaya tumaas yung water level, pero baba din yan dahil ginagamit din natin yung tubig at kung hindi uulan ng malakas,” Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) hydrologist Elmer Caringal said.
Red alert level has been raised which means communities around and downstream of the dam must be ready to evacuate when the situation calls for it, he added.
The dam has no gates and excess water spills to the Tullahan River and flows to several barangays in the cities of Quezon, Caloocan, Valenzuela and Malabon.
Meanwhile, Magat and Binga dams kept their spill gates open on Friday after their water levels breached the normal elevations due to rains spawned by the southwest monsoon.
Caringal said that as of 6 a.m. Friday, two gates of Magat dam in Isabela remained open by three meters as its water level rose to 192.24 meters, or beyond its normal level of 190.00 meters.
Caringal said that Binga dam in Benguet opened one gate by 0.6 meter as its water level reached 574.70 meters, or a little below its spilling level of 575.00 meters.
Binga's water flows downstream to the San Roque dam in Pangasinan. The dam can, however, contain the water spillage.
San Roque dam's water level stood at 273.24 meters as of 6 a.m., or way below its normal 280.00-meter level.
On the other hand, the water elevation of Ipo dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan remained below its spilling level of 100.80 meters.
The water level of Angat dam, also in Bulacan, has exceeded its normal level of 210.00 meters, reaching 212.12 meters, but its gates remained close because it could still contain its excess waters.
Water levels of Pantabangan dam in Nueva Ecija, Caliraya dam in Laguna and Ambuklao dam in Benguet are either below or at normal levels. (PNA)
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