In Drought-Stricken Sri Lanka, Farmers Watch Wells Empty and Wildlife Crowd Shrinking Water Holes
Reservoirs are about one-third full as government water deliveries and tanker supplies help farms and wildlife cope with months of dryness.
- Across Sri Lanka, 74 reservoirs have hovered around one-third full in recent weeks, forcing widespread water rationing. The ongoing drought has transformed the landscape, leaving agricultural communities struggling as irrigation tanks remain dry.
- The southwest monsoon, which normally supplies up to 30% of annual rainfall, failed through late September. Climate scientist Gayana Krishanthi Hendawitharana noted such extreme events are increasing, though more evidence is required to confirm climate change links.
- In Medirigiriya, farmers face mounting debt as crops wither without rain. Vidanaarachchige Wimalasuriya harvested only 6 sacks of rice instead of 50, while Indika Nuwankumara struggles to repay a $1,500 farming loan after his 8-acre field failed.
- Wildlife officials in Yala National Park are using water tankers to replenish artificial pools near the Menik River. Wildlife, including elephants and deer, suffers dehydration as temperatures rise above 35 Celsius.
- Recent showers offer minimal relief, as experts warn scattered rain remains insufficient to restore depleted groundwater and reservoirs. Residents continue waiting outside homes with containers for water deliveries provided by the government and various charities.
14 Articles
14 Articles
In drought-stricken Sri Lanka, farmers watch wells empty and wildlife crowd shrinking water holes – WTOP News
MEDIRIGIRIYA, Sri Lanka (AP) — When the decades-long civil war that forced Samantha Pushpakumara from his village in north-central Sri Lanka ended, he was finally able to return home to a life of farming that he thought would give his family a stable future. That was until the rains didn’t come. Sri Lanka has been...
The Toronto Star
In drought-stricken Sri Lanka, farmers watch wells empty and wildlife crowd shrinking water holes
MEDIRIGIRIYA, Sri Lanka (AP) — When the decades-long civil war that forced Samantha Pushpakumara from his village in north-central Sri Lanka ended, he was finally able to return home to a life of farming that he thought would give his…
In drought-stricken Sri Lanka, farmers watch wells empty and wildlife
MEDIRIGIRIYA, Sri Lanka (AP) — When the decades-long civil war that forced Samantha Pushpakumara from his village in north-central Sri Lanka ended, he was finally able to return home to a life of farming that he thought
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