The Central Office of the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (MGB-DENR) is conducting a groundwater resources assessment in Pampanga for the whole month of March as part of its efforts to avert water contamination and depletion.
This was learned from Art Punzalan, acting head of the province’s Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO), who assisted the MGB group in establishing their network and facilitating coordination relative to their work in the province.
After the group’s courtesy call on Governor Lilia G. Pineda, she instructed Punzalan, to provide the necessary assistance to the MGB staff leading to the smooth conduct of the groundwater resources assessment. This includes the linkages with mayors and private companies that the MGB needs to approach for the conduct of their survey.
Aniano Torres, a geologist who heads the nine-man team from the MGB Central Office, disclosed that the MGB has embarked on implementing the “Groundwater Resources Assessment Project” to address the issues confronting many regions in the country.
He added that the MGB expects the project to be completed and to cover the whole country in a five-year period.
Pampanga, according to Torres, has been chosen by the MGB as one of the priority areas for the project by virtue of its being a highly urbanized province, with densely populated growth areas, and special economic and export processing zones.
“Our group has put priority on the areas that are presently experiencing problems in sourcing viable water due to rapid increase in population growth, the demands of industry and agriculture, and the unexpected change in climate which have all conspired to put a demand on water resources beyond sustainable level,” Torres explained.
The geologists said that the actual field survey component would involve data collection and assimilation, remote sensing studies, geologic mapping and water well inventory and sampling, resistivity surveys and the identification, characterization and assessment of groundwater reservoirs and aquifers.
Punzalan said that the MGB staff will be divided into smaller groups to conduct assessment in all Pampanga towns. The provincial government, upon the instructions of the governor, Punzalan revealed, is assisting them in linking up with water districts, other local water offices and private firms or plants that use deep wells in their manufacturing processes.
The MGB hopes to finish the field survey by the end of March and the final recommendations to be done after another month or so, Torres said. Meanwhile, he said that the MGB Regional Office is conducting its own assessment in Zambales while other MGB regional offices do the same in other provinces.
The governor, through the ENRO, is facilitating the group’s introduction to the mayors and private firms to ensure the smooth conduct of their activities.
“Tayo rin ang makikinabang dito, dahil ituturo nila sa atin ang mga tamang lugar na dapat paglagyan ng mga deep well at ang mga lugar na dapat iwasan para makapigil sa pagkasayang at pagka-kontamina ng tubig na ating ginagamit,” the governor concluded. (Pampanga PIO)
