Amidst myriad crises, Sri Lanka is forced to choose between food and electricity. On the one hand, a segment of the country’s agricultural community is wondering if their efforts in cultivating a staggering 65,000 acres of paddy fields would go down the drain, while on the other, the people of the Southern Province have been warned by the authorities that they may have to endure three-hour power cuts in the coming months.

This predicament is caused by the prevailing drought in some parts of the island. Recently, it was reported that the water level of the Udawalawe Reservoir had dropped to 2%, depriving many areas of water including the said paddy fields. The Agriculture Ministry had planned to release 27 million cubic metres of water from the Samanalawewa Reservoir to the Udawalawe Reservoir for a period of 10 days. However, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) issued warnings that the Southern Province may have to face three-hour power cuts in the event the said plan was implemented, as the Samanalawewa Reservoir plays a role in generating electricity for the Southern Province. Following several rounds of talks with the relevant Government stakeholders, the Ministry recently announced that steps are afoot to release water from 11 tanks belonging to the Monaragala District to the Udawalawe Reservoir in order to save at least part of the said paddy fields and other cultivations in the area.

However, the problem does not seem to be over, both on the power generation and agriculture fronts, as saving “part of the cultivations”, be it paddy or other types of crops, is not what the protesting farmers who want “all” the crops saved, expect, and the electricity issue is alleged by electricity consumers to be a conspiracy to create an environment for the CEB to go for emergency power purchases, regarding which there is a large number of corruption and underhand deals-related allegations.

While dealing with the many conspiracy claims and long-term issues related to this situation is necessary, what is urgent is dealing with the dilemma of choosing between food and electricity, both of which remain consumer staples. The decision is difficult, but a logical analysis of the situation would show that food has to be prioritised. Although certain aspects of the economy are showing signs of stabilising, albeit at a higher cost, food inflation has not declined satisfactorily. The lack of availability, affordability, and accessibility of food items is a challenge for many, and malnutrition has become a key topic of discussion in the country’s economic crisis. In this context, nearly 65,000 acres of paddy fields and other cultivations is no joke in terms of the impact on already struggling farmers, the overall agricultural sector including food markets, and the people who would have benefitted from locally grown food which are relatively cheaper. Needless to say, if these 65,000 acres are destroyed due to the lack of water, the country may even have to import food, which costs foreign reserves, to fill the lacuna in the food supply it will create.

That is not to say that electricity is unnecessary or unimportant, even if it is only the Southern Province that is at risk here. However, power cuts are relatively more manageable than the worsening of the food crisis, and even if the authorities were to opt for power cuts, it would be a temporary measure, as the drought is projected to decrease in severity within the next two to three months. What the authorities can do is implement power cuts in a manner that causes the least impact on electricity consumers, such as by imposing power cuts during off-peak hours or on a staggered basis. In addition, being more transparent in this endeavour is crucial in order to get the people to support the same in an informed manner. With increased awareness about what is at stake here, the people who lived through 3-13-hour power cuts at several points in the past year (2022), would extend their support willingly.

In any case, the Government does not have time to waste, as the said cultivations are on the brink of destruction.