Sri Lankan govt delivers water to 72,000 people

Sri Lanka’s government has arranged for water to be delivered to nearly 72,000 people across seven districts as the country tackles a drought linked to this year’s severe El Niño, a senior official said yesterday.

El Niño is a naturally occurring weather pattern whose impact varies from region to region. It can lead to both drought and flooding and exaggerate the impact of global warming.

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The Sri Lankan government has said the impact this year could be the worst in decades and that water levels at hundreds of small tanks in the country have dropped to about 10 percent.

Apart from reducing the availability of drinking water, crops including coconut and vegetables are becoming stressed. The government has allocated Rs.4.8 billion from the budget for water distribution.

Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi told reporters the government had expected El Niño to peak around November but now believed it would peak sooner.