NIA appeals to upper Chico River folks: Help protect forests

By Larry Lopez

TABUK CITY, Kalinga-- The National Irrigation Administration provincial office urged residents along upstream Chico to help protect watersheds considering the river is main source of irrigation water.

Irrigation division head Raymond Apil made the call in the wake of NIA’s 49th anniversary highlighted with massive tree planting along watersheds near the Chico River.  

He said watersheds are the life of rivers even as he  called a stop to cutting of trees.  “We eventually kill the Chico if we abuse its nearby watersheds,”

He invited residents in the area to join a NIA program to reforest sites near the Chico River that was  started with planting of 2,000 trees  this year.

In Quezon, Isabela, about 200 volunteers have been mobilized to plant 1,300 seedlings of fruit trees and other species along developed watersheds.

Apil said aside from protecting the watersheds near the irrigation canal, the project was in support to the  National Greening Program of government.

Under the project, every division of the irrigation office was told to maintain its own nursery for the propagation of tree seedlings so tree planting could be a year-round activity.