Colombo, Sri Lanka — Severe drought has destroyed normal life in many parts of rural Sri Lanka in ways not experienced for years.
Experts believe that the drought may have been caused by El Niño, which could also explain the extreme temperatures.
Agriculture in Sri Lanka relies on two major monsoon rainy seasons and intermittent rainfall between monsoons. The failure and severe weakening of rainfall has led to drought and dependence on stored water in many parts of the island. Extremely high temperatures lead to increased evaporation, threatening already scarce water storage.
Because the water is to generate electricity, the water is cut off and farmers are not allowed to irrigate
Farmers in Walawa, south of the island in Sri Lanka, were the first to be hit by water shortages in their fields. Authorities restricted the flow of water from Samanalawewa reservoir to the Udawalava reservoir, claiming that water was needed to generate electricity.
Although water supply resumed after farmers protested the decision, it was too late to save many rice fields from destruction.
Sri Lanka's meteorological service predicts that rainfall will be insufficient until October, warning that Samanalawewa power generation will not be able to continue to provide electricity to the Southern Province.
The threat of power outages
Now, plans are being made to urgently purchase electricity from generators in the private sector at great cost, while farming communities are lamenting the destruction of farmland.
At the same time, the cost of electricity generation at the National Utility Ceylon Power Authority increased by Rs 600 million.
A senior official of the Ceylon Electricity Authority said: "The average daily generation of thermal power generation has increased from 30% to 64%, which is due to the shortage of water for hydroelectric power. ”
The cost of generating electricity is about Rs 800 million. However, the current situation means that the cost will now rise to about 1.4 billion rupees.
Electricity supply and agriculture
Sri Lanka's Mahavili authorities, the government agency that controls water releases and is responsible for balancing farmers' and power generation needs, earlier stressed that the country's economy would suffer losses in excess of the rupee. After the cabinet decided to prioritize power generation and not discharge water from Samanalavewa to rice paddies, it cost $30 billion.
The desperation of the peasants
Similar conditions exist in other river basins, such as the Mahaweli region, which produces most of the country's food supply, prompting widespread public criticism for water scarcity, mismanagement and alleged corruption in this year's El Niño. As of Tuesday (22nd), dry weather conditions have affected residents in 17 districts of Sri Lanka.
According to the latest statistics released by the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Centre, a total of 248,531 people were affected.