By Nidarshani Wickramasinghe Sri Lanka may have to resort to treating and distributing seawater to meet its drinking water requirements if the predicted El Niño conditions severely affect the country, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has warned. DMC Additional Secretary K G Dharmathilaka said that if the ongoing El Niño phenomenon affects Sri Lanka as [...]
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Sri Lanka may have to resort to treating and distributing seawater to meet its drinking water requirements if the predicted El Niño conditions severely affect the country, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has warned.
DMC Additional Secretary K G Dharmathilaka said that if the ongoing El Niño phenomenon affects Sri Lanka as forecast, authorities may have to consider such measures.
Warning that the anticipated El Niño conditions could be unprecedented in their severity, he said there was a risk that even the country’s main water sources could dry up as a result of its impact.
Water bottles were distributed in Thanamalwila
“If water sources dry up, there will be no alternative means of obtaining water. Therefore, there is an urgent need to make preparations and formulate plans well in advance at the highest level,” he stressed.
He emphasised the urgent need for the country to prepare in advance for the developing situation.
Meanwhile, the DMC said that the number of water bowsers available to the National Disaster Relief Services Centre for emergency water distribution was limited.
Herdsmen use a tractor and bikes to transport grass and fodder for the buffalo
The Centre pointed out that although, during normal drought periods, it may be possible to provide water across the country for approximately a month through the National Disaster Relief Services Centre, the number of water bowsers currently available would not be sufficient to distribute water on a large scale if the anticipated severe situation materialises.
Water distribution operations are currently being carried out in coordination with other relevant state institutions.
According to DMC figures as of last morning (12), 161,451 people from 49,344 families in 8 districts across the island have been affected. 36 Divisional Secretariat Divisions had been affected by El Niño related conditions.
Drinking water is currently being distributed to 141,312 people from 43,221 families living in all 36 affected Divisional Secretariat Divisions.
The Ampara, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Batticaloa, Matale, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa and Ratnapura districts have been affected by the drinking water shortage.
Monaragala has been the worst-affected district, with 42,429 people from 13,139 families reported to have been affected as of yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, the Meteorology Department says that the El Niño conditions expected this time could surpass all El Niño events recorded since 1950.
Director General Ajith Wijemanna said the probability of the development of El Niño conditions had increased from the previously forecast 69% to 75%.
He warned that this year’s event could have a greater impact than any of the El Niño conditions recorded during the past 75 years.
According to forecasts issued by the Department of Meteorology, although there may be a reduction in rainfall over the next two weeks, rainfall is expected to gradually increase across the island from the end of September.
The Director General said that the probability of the situation developing into a strong El Niño between October and December had risen to as high as 98%.
However, following this period of increased rainfall, there is also a risk of a severe water shortage developing in many parts of the island between January and March next year, as rainfall is expected to decline significantly.
The Meteorology Department also said that temperatures are expected to remain high across the island, both during the day and at night, in the coming months. Even when rainfall occurs, there is unlikely to be any significant reduction in the prevailing heat.
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