DROUGHT AFFECTED FAMILIES FACE HARDSHIP
By Sumanasiri Gunatilleka
Statistically 55,389 families in the Moneragala district are facing hardship due to the prolonged drought. All water resources including rivers, canals, streams and wells have run dry. The pipe borne water supply in the town has been restricted to two days a week causing a shortage of drinking water.
Meanwhile, the water level in the Menik ganga, which is one of the main water resources that feeds the water supply schemes, is fast dwindling. Kumbukkanoya, Kirindioya, Hedaoya, Wiloya and Maragalaoya are among the other main rivers that are running dry. The Disaster Management Centre at Moneragala District Secretariat said 12,620 families in the Buttala DS Division , 9,784 families in Siyambalanduwa DS Division, 9,297 families in the Moneragala DS Division, 6,520 families in Sevenagala DS Division, 6,070 families in Thanamalwila DS Division, 5,558 in Madulla DS Division, and 5,500 in Badalkumbura DS Division were the worst affected. The Divisional Secretaries of the respective areas appealed to the Disaster Management Centre to provide urgent relief to the affected families. Meanwhile, a large population in Wellawaya and Medagama DS Divisions were also facing a severe shortage of drinking water. District Disaster Management Coordinating Officer A.H. Ravindra Kumara said he informed the Disaster Management Centre to take immediate steps to provide bowsers and water tanks to supply drinking water to the affected areas. A senior official of the Agrarian Services Department said more than 10,000 acres of paddy fields would not be cultivated for the Maha season for want of irrigations facilities. .
dailymirror.lk
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment