'Use water sparingly'

Nimal Wijesinghe-Anuradhapura Additional District group corr

Water Supply and Drainage Board's North Central Deputy General Manager L L A Peiris appeals to the people in the region who use pipe borne water to use water sparingly.

Peris said the water level at Nuwarawewa, Tissawewa, Thuruwila, Minneriya, Parakrama Samudraya, has been reducing fast.

The people should use the water being distributed for the drinking purpose mainly, he said.

About 200,000 people use drinking water from Thuruwila, Tissawewa and Nuwarawewa reservoirs daily.

A population of 350,000 including those at schools, hospitals and other government offices use pipe borne water facilities daily.

According to WSDB statistics, from Nuwarawewa, Tissawewa and Thuruwila, 35,500 water cubic metres is issued per day for public consumption. The water capacity in the Nuwara wewa by June 25 was 14,000 out of 36,050 acre feet at full capacity. The water level in Tissawewa is 1,975 acre feet. In the Thuruwila tank, out of the total capacity of 15,000 acre feet, 3,700 acre feet is remaining.

The Irrigation and Agrarian Services Department has stopped issuing water for cultivation from these tanks.