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| Saturday, 04 September 2004 |
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How environmental damage drives the drought by Florence Wickramage
The severity of the drought which has gripped the Rajarata is being felt by man and animals alike. While man trudges miles and miles in search of water - animals like the elephant enter cultivated areas in search of water and food, and small animals fall prey to trap guns. According to government officials, the human-elephant conflict is escalating under this situation in places like Medirigiriya where the drought is at its worst.
The beautiful Parakrama Samudraya was a pathetic sight with its water levels down to 7 feet - less than 15% of its capacity. A farmer who uses the Samudraya waters to irrigate his land said that this is the first time for the past 35 years that the Parakrama Samudraya has sunk so low. Besides Polonnaruwa the drought has spread to fourteen other districts in the island and nearly 20 lakhs of people are affected. According to latest statistics, Kurunegala District has been dealt a severe blow by the prevailing drought. Around 167,573 farmer families in the Kurunegala District alone and another 158,987 farmer families in the Anuradhapura district have been affected by the drought. Social Service Department statistics estimate that around 475,884 people islandwide have become destitute under the drought situation. Districts in the grip of severe drought are Kurunegala, Matale, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Moneragala, Hambantota, Ampara, Badulla, Kilinochchi, Batticaloa, Jaffna, Mannar and Trincomalee. Vast stretches of irrigable land have been scorched - turned brown where earlier were seen acres and acres of cultivated green land. Polonnaruwa
The water capacity of the Parakrama Samudraya is 109,000 acre-feet. Last week the recorded water level was 28,450 acre feet. Along with the Parakrama Samudraya other tanks seriously affected by the drought are Giritale Wewa, Palliyagodella Wewa, Kavudulla Wewa and Minneriya Wewa. According to Polonnaruwa, Government Agent Ranjith Wijetilleke, the worst affected is the Medirigiriya Pradeshiya Secretariat areas with 16,200 farmer families being affected.
Drinking water to affected people is being distributed by bowsers by local authorities, tapping whatever water resources still available. In addition existing wells in the area are being restored. However a resident of Medirigiriya related a different story. He said that illegal felling of trees had taken place in the Kavudulla and Somawathiya sanctuaries. Then in November 2003, with `unofficial' official interference the six sluice gates which releases water from the Kantalai Yoda Ela to Kavudulla had been closed down on the pretext that water in excess was flowing to the tank. Therefore illegal felling of trees in the two sanctuaries resulted in the drying up of water resources and the closing up of the sluice gates contributed to the difficulties ,Medirigiriya people undergo during this drought season. Kavudulla Wewa started gradually drying up due to insufficient rains to fill up the wewa.
It is reported that several families from Palliyagodella were migrating to other areas unable to face the severity of the drought. He added that out of the 300 tube wells belonging to the Medirigiriya Pradeshiya Sabha around 200 were broken. According to latest information desperate residents had forcibly opened the sluice gates of the Parakrama Samudraya which local engineers had tried to close to conserve water. They were prevented and attacked by angry residents which action resulted in the water level of the Parakrama Samudraya dropping to a few feet. The local engineers however were able to close the sluice gates despike the opposition. The water problem is also affecting wild animals with instances of village homesteads being destroyed by marauding elephants from the Somawathiya jungles, in their desperate search for food and water. This situation has escalated illegal hunting of smaller animals such as the deer, sambur and wild boar which come to quench their thirst to the dried up water beds. Cattle were seen dying afflicted with drought-related diseases. Anuradhapura Anuradhapura residents' drinking water source was the Nuwara Wewa the water level of which has reduced by about 90% of its capacity. Farmers in the area complain that the lack of expected rainfall during the past three harvesting seasons has increased their woes. Nuwara Wewa water is being supplemented by the Mahaveli-fed Nachchaduwa Wewa and Anuradhapura government officials are hopeful that the drinking water problem of the Anuradhapura residents could soon be solved. Several other tanks in the Anuradhapura District - Nachchaduwa Wewa, Tissa Wewa, Basawakkulama Wewa, Padaviya Wewa, Mahakanadarawa Wewa, Rajanganaya Reservoir, Kala Wewa, Balalu Wewa, Hurulu Wewa are also recording seriously low water levels. Under this present situation officials are contemplating the imposition of a fine for those who wilfully pollute water in the tanks. While the Senanayake Samudraya at Ampara is completely dried up the tanks in Kurunegala are also facing the same fate. The drought is taking its toll in areas beyond the Anuradhapura city limits and places like Horowpatana, Galenbindunuwewa, Padaviya, Medawachchiya, Palugaswewa, Palagala and Kahatagasdigiliya are drastically affected by the lack of pure drinking water. Since provision of drinking water to these areas has become a problem, officials have appealed to businessmen to provide bowsers for the transportation of water to the interior areas. Restoration of tanks The recently commissioned 1,000 Wewa Restoration Project offers a glimmer of hope to an otherwise bleak situation. The drought and floods are natural disasters facing the country as an annual event. |
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