Philippine News Agency
Water release prevented bigger catastrophe: Magat Dam exec
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) explained that opening the gates of Magat Dam was necessary to prevent a catastrophic breach due to heavy rains from Typhoon Ulysses.
NIA Administrator Ricardo Visaya stated that if the dam's water level exceeded its safety limit of 193 meters above mean sea level, the dam could break, affecting millions.
Visaya was responding to criticisms that the dam's water release exacerbated flooding in Cagayan and Isabela.
At its peak on November 12, seven gates of Magat Dam were opened, releasing a significant volume of water.
The Magat Dam reservoir continuously received water from eight tributaries originating from Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya, necessitating outflow management even without a direct hit from Ulysses.
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Magat Dam has reduced its open spillway gates to two as of Saturday morning, November 14, 2020.
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The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) welcomes a proposed Senate probe into Magat Dam's water release protocols, which are partly blamed for the widespread flooding in Cagayan and Isabela after Typhoon Ulysses.
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An analyst from the UP Resilience Institute stated that the operators of Magat Dam exhibited a "lack of anticipation" which led to the severe flooding in Cagayan.
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Only one spillway gate of the Magat Dam remained open on Sunday to release excess water, according to PAGASA.
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Four major dams in Luzon have started to release excess water due to Typhoon Ulysses.
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