Heavens scorching eye ignores prayers for rain

By Nadia Fazlulhaq-August 17, 2014

Thousands of villagers pray for rain as the ancient giant tanks and irrigation systems continue
to dry up in 14 districts mostly in the North, East and North-Central provinces, with experts
forecasting a continued need for trucked-in drinking water
The famous 1!th-century "arakrama #amudraya now has only one-fifteenth of the water it
was $uilt to hold
A dried up tank in Yala
%lthough the &ala crop season has reached its end and the 'aha season is to $egin in
(cto$er, water for domestic use as well as water for wildlife will $e in short supply, with heavy
rains not expected until late #eptem$er
)overnment %gents *+istrict #ecretaries, and irrigation and meteorological experts voiced the
need for continued supplies of clean drinking water as well as for containers, $arrels and
tanks to hold water
%ccording to the +isaster 'anagement Centre, more than 1- million people are suffering due
to the prolonged drought
.n the Northern "rovince, with little rainfall since last year/s north-east monsoon, more than
011,111 people are short of ade2uate drinking water
%ll districts in the North, 3avuniya, 'ullaitivu, 'annar, 4illinochchi and 5affna are
experiencing the severe dry spell, with the most affected $eing the 5affna district/s +elft,
4ayts, 'aradankulam 4arainagar, 3elanai, Nallur and 4aravaddi areas, 5affna )% #untharam
%rumainayagam said
'annar too is $adly hit, with no signs of rains for almost a year, especially in 'annar town,
'adhu and 'aanthai west, where drinking water supply is a concern for authorities
.n the Eastern "rovince, %mpara, 6atticaloa, Trincomalee districts are also struggling
although scattered rains were reported7 more than 0-4,!18 people are affected
%lthough the south-western monsoon is expected to hit the )alle and 'atara districts
9am$antota is drought-affected, with $oth people and animals struggling to find drinking
water .t was reported this week that crocodiles, including a 10-foot creature, were wandering
into villages as water-courses dried up
"olonnaruwa )overnment %gent Nimal %$eysiri said there have $een many donations of
plastic water tanks, water $arrels and $ottled water from private donors to $e distri$uted in
severely-affected areas such as 'edirigiriya, :elikanda, +im$ulagala and other %)%
divisions
.n the North Central "rovince a$out !11,111 people in the %nuradhapura and "olonnaruwa
districts are going through hardship
.n the North :estern "rovince more than 8;1,111 people in the 4urunegala and "uttalam
districts are in hardship
.rrigation +epartment Chief 6adra 4amaladasa says water levels in reservoirs are falling at an
alarming rate with an average holding of less than 14 per cent
The "arakrama #amudraya in %mpara that has a capacity of <4- million cu$ic metres *'C',
currently holds only ;1mcm .n Trincomalee, the 4antale tank, which can hold up to 141mcm,
has dropped to only 14mcm
.n "olonnaruwa, the 'inneriya tank has only 01mcm though the full capacity is 108mcm
9am$antota/s .rrigation =unugamvehera tank, which can hold up to !!8mcm, has only
!8mcm .n %nuradhapura, the "adaviya reservoir that can hold up to 114mcm has only
801mcm
The -! ma>or tanks in irriga$le areas and other reservoirs have not received rainfall
:ater for human consumption and for wildlife is $ecoming a growing concern,? 's
4amaladasa said
Kumana National Park: An elephant approaches a small tank that villagers have dug up to provide water to the animals
.n drought-stricken areas, villagers are seen collecting fish from dried up streams and small
water ways, and releasing them to rivers and tanks
The :eheragala tank that provides water to $oth villagers and animals of &ala has gone
down from -8mcm to @!4mcm
The 'au %ra reservoir that services the Ada :alawe National "ark has dropped sharply from
a total capacity of 41mcm to a mere <mcm
The rural Thanamalwila, :ellawaya, 6uttala, 'oneragala and #iyam$alanduwa areas of
'oneragala district have $een experiencing great distress
3illagers say though they receive water in $owsers with the
elections nearing, long-term solutions such as reconstruction,
de-silting and construction of tanks is needed to prevent crop
loss and drinking water crisis in times of drought
'oneragala )% % "athiananthan, said under the government/s
+rought Becovery programme Bs 11 million was allocated to
de-silt and reconstruct tanks 9e said cash for work and food for
work programmes are taking place in the district additional to the
water $eing provided $y $owsers of the army, water $oard and
private hiring
%nanda "erera, a senior meteorologist at the 'eteorology
+epartment, said the current south-west monsoon is a failure
and that climate change was affecting weather patterns
%lthough #ri =anka will not have direct effects from El Nino
there is a possi$ility of experiencing indirect effects such as
heavy rains in the coming second inter-monsoon starting in
(cto$er or severe drought condition from 'arch next year,? he
said
'r "erera said there would $e scattered rain in the
9am$antota, North Central and Eastern provinces $ut this would
not provide sufficient drinking water nor fill up reservoirs
Monk, villagers construct ponds for thirsty wildlife
A Buddhist monk and a veterinary surgeon have extended their kindness to save
animals sufering from a water shortage in the Uva Province.
Chief Monk of Sithulawwa !a"amaha #iharaya situated inside the $ala %ational
Park& #en. Mataram'a (emarathana )hera& with the hel of villagers& and using
his own money& set u temorary water onds to rovide drinking water to
afected animals.
(e has made these onds 'y digging u the dried lakes in $ala& laying olythene
sheets on them& and *lling them with water. +eer& monkeys and varieties of 'irds
were seen aroaching this new water ond to ,uench their thirst.
Currently over -. onds have 'een made
this way in $ala& /atagamuwa& Ba'owa and
(eenwewa areas. )he villagers have
volunteered to re*ll the onds when they
dry out.
Seaking to the Sunday )imes& the Chief
Monk said that he wanted to hel the
animals when some of them started to die.
0t is a hard time for all of us. 0 wanted to
hel these animals and rotect them from
'eing destroyed 'ecause of the lack of water&1 the #en. )hera said.
Meanwhile& Uva Province 2ildlife o3cials had rescued two 'a'y elehants
sufering from kidney trou'le. )hey had fallen sick after drinking muddy and
contaminated water.
#eterinary surgeon attached to the Uva and Central Province& +r 2.A.
+armakeerthi has 'een living in a small hut in +iyawara #illage for the ast three
days& attending to the two 'a'y elehants.
Poor Yala season sends paddy prices up
A dro in addy roduction in the $ala season 'y a'out 4. er cent is forecast
due to the continuing drought which has resulted in a rice shortage in the market
while addy rices have shot u& o3cials said.
)he cometitive rices aid 'y rivate mill owners have resulted in the ma"ority
of farmers selling their addy to large scale mill owners.
A kilo of nadu was sold 'y farmers at !s. 54 6 57 this week& while the Paddy
Marketing Board 8PMB9 guaranteed rice is at !s. -: er kilo& Agriculture Ministry
Secretary !.M.+.B. Meegasmulla.
Agriculture Ministry estimates of $ala season addy roduction to dro down to
5. to 54 ercent of the average yield& Mr. Meegasmulla said.
;nly *fty ercent of 4..&... hectares of land that are usually cultivated during
$ala season was cultivated this season due to severe drought conditions
exerienced in the areas which has resulted in a severe shortage of addy in the
market& he exlained.
)he current market is already exeriencing a shortage of local rice varieties
already& he said.
Most of the addy farmers have 'een attracted to the rivate addy millers.
As the farmers are getting high rices from mill owners we don<t get much
stocks this year1 PMB chairman /. B. =ayasinghe said.
Small and medium term mill owners have 'een drastically afected 'y the issue
as they are una'le to ay the cometitive rices aid 'y much larger
cometitors.
;n earlier occasions we sulied addy from the PMB to the small and medium
scale mill owners at guaranteed rice. But this time we are una'le to do so as the
PMB is also not receiving addy& due to higher rices aid 'y the large scale mill
owners1& Cooeratives and 0nternal )rade Ministry sokeserson %iuna
>kanayake said.
)he imorted varieties are also 'eing sold at the rice ceiling imosed 'y the
Ministry of 0nternal )rade& Mr. >kanayake said.
)he )rade Ministry will monitor the current rice and addy markets 'efore
imorting rice& he said.
2e have to *rst see how much the $ala season roduction is 'efore imorting
rice for the local market. ;nce the harvesting is comleted we will imorted the
necessary ,uantity.
Many of the suermarkets in Colom'o have run short of red rice stocks& among
other
varieties.