- NWSDB keeps 120 bowsers on standby
Nearly 100,000 people across six districts are facing drinking water shortages as the prevailing El Niño-related dry conditions continue to affect water supplies, according to the latest situation report issued by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).
The DMC reported that 96,056 people belonging to 30,011 families had been affected by drinking water shortages across 28 Divisional Secretariat (DS) divisions in the Ampara, Badulla, Batticaloa, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, and Ratnapura Districts.
Emergency drinking water distribution is currently underway in 27 of the 28 affected DS divisions, covering 29,584 families comprising 94,356 people.
The figures indicate that emergency water supplies are now reaching the vast majority of those affected by shortages as authorities respond to the continuing dry conditions.
The shortages come amid concerns over the impact of El Niño-related weather conditions on water availability, particularly in areas dependent on rainfall and local water sources.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation as the dry conditions persist, with emergency drinking water distribution being maintained in affected areas.
Despite the scale of the emergency, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) stated that it had sufficient bowser capacity at present to respond to the shortages, with Chairman Chandana Bandara stating that the board had around 120 bowsers available islandwide.
“We have about 120 bowsers, but we are currently operating only a few of these depending on demand. All our bowsers are on standby,” Bandara told The Sunday Morning.
He added that bowsers were currently being used in areas including Monaragala and Batticaloa, while the remainder were stationed at NWSDB plants around the country and could be deployed according to demand.
Meanwhile, addressing the media, Director General of Meteorology A.L.K. Wijemannage said that rainfall was expected to gradually increase towards the end of September, with the second inter-monsoon period in October and November expected to bring more widespread showers.
“Over the coming days, we expect moderate to heavy evening showers in areas that experienced hot, dry weather recently, such as Monaragala, Badulla, Ampara, Batticaloa, and parts of the Eastern Province,” Wijemannage said.
El Niño conditions are projected to increase rainfall in October and November, continuing into December with the northeast monsoon.
According to Wijemannage, however, the longer-term outlook could again turn drier, with higher temperatures and reduced rainfall expected from around February to April next year.
“The World Meteorological Organization announced with nearly 100% probability that this El Niño condition will persist through February next year. Sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean have risen significantly, and the resultant warming has spread towards our region as well.
“The El Niño condition is growing stronger and is forecast to peak between October and November with near-certain probability, developing into a very strong El Niño event,” he further stated.
Wijemannage added that as a South Asian country, Sri Lanka would see changes in its rainfall patterns, along with a general rise in global temperatures.