President Maithripala Sirisena has intervened to resolve the problem of scarcity of drinking water in Anuradhapura and has instructed the Anuradhapura Government Agent to take prompt action in this regard.
The water level of the Nuwarawewa reservoir has dropped significantly causing a scarcity of treated drinking water to a population of around 300,000 in the Anuradhapura and Mihintale cities and their suburbs.
Adhering to the directive of the President, Anuradhapura Government Agent R.M. Wanninayake convened an emergency meeting recently where the top executives of the Anuradhapura district Irrigation Department, Water Supply and Drainage Board (WSDB), Archaeology Department, Mahaweli Authority and the relevant divisional secretaries participated.
WSDB (NCP) Regional Manager C.S. Lokubarana said that the water crisis is worsening since no adequate rainfall could he expected until mid-November.
Due to the dwindling water level of Nuwarawewa, the water has got mixed with sediment making it very difficult to be treated, officials said.
The Mahaweli system ‘H’ residential project manager Udaya Kalyana Kumara said that the water capacity of the district’s largest reservoir - Kalawewa - has dropped to 37,000 acre feet from 110,000 acre feet.
They required 5,700 acre feet for cultivation within the Mahaweli ‘H’ area.
It was disclosed at the meeting that although it was the agreement that the water level of Nuwarawewa should not be allowed to drop beyond six feet, that standard has not been adhered to.
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