By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

With the El Nino phenomenon expected to hit Palau in the next few weeks, the Bureau of Public Works (BPW) started its conservation efforts as the water level at the two dams that supply the States of Koror and Airai are going to critical levels.
Acting BPW Director Rechur Rengulbai said that the water level at the bigger Ngerimel Dam went down by about five feet already and expected to go lower.
"As you can see, the rains are not coming so often at this point," Rengulbai said as he inspected the conservation effort that is being undertaken in the smaller Ngerikiil Dam last Friday March.
Crews from BPW’s Water Utilities Unit under the supervision of Field Manager Unit Senardo Ngirachelsau were seen putting sandbags on top of the spillway in Ngerikiil Dam in order to prevent it from drying it.
"We need to fill 1,000 sandbags," said Rengulbai, who thanked the Koror State Government for donating 10 cubic yard of sands and the Airai State Government for the dump truck as well as Socio Micronesia.
Rengulbai said that this is just the first step for the conservation effort.
Meanwhile, inmates from Koror jail will be helping the water connection unit crew with the ongoing works at the Ngerikiil Dam this week.