Pansipit River siltation among factors in Taal Lake water rise

LUCENA CITY — Siltation at the Pansipit River is among the top factors behind the continuing rise in Taal Lake’s water level, according to a multi-agency consultation organized by the Batangas government on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

Accumulated soil and sand have slowed waterway discharges.

The consultation aimed to establish a unified government response and develop long-term solutions to the problem, which continues to affect communities around the lake.

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READ: PNP: 1400 human bones recovered from Taal Lake

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The deteriorating condition of the Pansipit River, Taal Lake’s sole natural outlet to Balayan Bay, requires a “clear and long-term solution to remove the obstructions in the river,” according to the provincial government’s Public Information Office (PIO), quoting Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto.

The meeting brought together representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources IV-A, and local governments around Taal Lake and along the Pansipit River.

The consultation was also part of continuing efforts by the Sagip Taal Lake Movement Inc. and partner agencies to address the deteriorating condition of the Taal Lake and Pansipit River ecosystems and prevent further damage to lakeshore communities.

In recent weeks, heavy rains falling in the Taal Lake watershed sent large volumes of water into the lake.

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Overflowing from Taal Lake has affected several lakeshore municipalities in Batangas, including Talisay, Agoncillo, San Nicolas and Balete.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard led a river and coastal cleanup drive along the Pansipit River in Barangay Pansipit, Agoncillo, on Sept. 15, in partnership with the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office and beneficiaries of the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program.

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The cleanup focused on removing water lilies, other aquatic vegetation, and floating debris that were obstructing the flow of water along the river. /mcm