Bauko officials to build mini-hydro

BAUKO, Mountain Province – Mayor-elect Abraham B. Akilit here said here the local government will utilize its resources like construction of a mini-hydro dam to lessen poverty and boost economic activities in this upland town.

           

“We are intending to divert water of the Chico and Dekyao rivers at Monamon towards Abit river through the construction of a 1 kilometer tunnel where we are planning to construct one of our proposed minihydro power plant,”Akilit stressed, citing that consultations with the residents are now underway for the aforesaid plan in order to help in the increase of renewable power generation that will guarantee added income for the local government.

           

Along the Agno river, the former regional director of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) pointed out that the municipal government will also construct a multi-purpose minihydro power plant where the water from the plant will be used for domestic purposes, particularly to supply the water requirements of Abatan, Buguias and Mankayan town, both in nearby Benguet province.

           

“Our plan to build two power plants along two out of the for major river systems that trace their watershed to the Mount Data plateau is the ultimate alternative to generate sufficient income for the municipality in order to significantly reduce the poverty incidents in the locality and eventually become a progressive town,”Akilit added, claiming that part of the income to be derived from the operation of the proposed two power plants will be used for the uphill effort to preserve and protect the state of the watershed for the benefit of the present and future generations.

Bauko, which is located at the top most portion of the Mount Data plateau, hosts the headwaters of the four major river systems in the Cordillera, particularly the Chico, Magat, Agno and Abra rivers.

           

Akilit is a staunch advocate of watershed preservation and protection as well as the optimum utilization of renewable sources of power in order to help in unrelenting efforts of both the government and private sectors to preserve and protect the environment for the benefit of the present and future generations of Cordillerans.

           

The mayor-elect is currently preparing a comprehensive watershed protection plan which he will strictly implement once he assumes his post as the local chief executive by noon of June 30, 2013.

           

According to him, there is a need for the people to internalize the importance of enhancing efforts to preserve and protect the state of the environment from eventual deterioration so that they will be now the ones to educate other people in nearby areas to do the same and create a bandwagon that will sustain a holistic approach in maintaining the forests as their major source of livelihood and income for the local government.

Akilit is also contemplating on implementing the fencing of Bauko boundaries with that of neighboring towns in Mountain Province and Benguet so that people will be able to see the difference of those who are dedicated to preserve thre trees and those who want to allow trees to be wilfully cut by unscrupulous individuals, land speculators and those who want to use the watersheds as expansion of their commercial vegetable gardens instead of protecting the remaining forests.