The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has completed the Barbar Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (Barbar SRIP) in Barangay Barbar, San Juan, Ilocos Sur.
The P631-million Barbar SRIP involves the construction of Earthfill Dam across the Bical River with a height and length of 25 meters and 344.15 meters respectively, with a storage capacity of 0.861 million cubic meters.
Irrigation facilities of the project consist of a 5-kilometer main canal and a total of 16.28 kilometers of lateral canals.
“Access roads were constructed simultaneous with the lateral canals having the same length with the latter, providing mobility and accessibility for farmers and their farms inputs and products,” NIA said in a statement.
The Barbar SRIP with 846-hectare service area aims to provide sustainable development to the 1,156 farmers and their families of the 11 barangays of Barbar, Camangaan, Nagsupotan, Nagsabaran, Muraya, Immayos Sur, Guimod Sur and Bacsil in the town of San Juan, and the barangays of Macatcatud, Caraisan and Barbarit in the neighboring town of Magsingal, Ilocos Sur.
Aside from the increase in agricultural production through additional areas of around 319 hectares and yield increase up to 5.2 metric tons, it also helps in mitigating flood by impounding typhoon waters for use as irrigation. It strengthens watershed recharging the aquifer in the area that will reestablish the vegetation and helps enhance the biodiversity.
Barbar SRIP will be inaugurated on May 6. The event will be attended by top NIA officials as well as the Ilocos Sur provincial and local government officials, and the project beneficiaries as represented by its Irrigators’ Association officials.
NIA’s officials, led by Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, made an assurance that the agency remains committed to its mandate of providing efficient, reliable, and sustainable irrigation service to farmers.
Image courtesy of Contributed photo
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