• No disruptions during Avurudu: NWSDB

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) is set to hold a critical review on 15 April to determine whether water restrictions will need to be re-imposed in several areas following the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. 

NWSDB Chairman Chandana Bandara told The Sunday Morning that while water cuts had been temporarily lifted to accommodate the festive season, the longer-term supply situation would depend heavily on rainfall. 

“We will have to conduct a review again after 15 April to see if we need to go back to some restrictions,” he said, noting that the decision would hinge on whether the country received adequate rainfall by that date. 

Bandara explained that a water management plan had been implemented from 2 April, involving 12-hour water cuts across five zones. The measures were introduced due to a sharp drop in water levels at the Labugama and Kalatuwawa Reservoirs, caused by a prolonged dry spell and increased demand amid high temperatures. 

However, the NWSDB has temporarily restored normal supply for the festive period. 

“We started water cuts on 2 April. For four days, 11–14 April, we will provide water completely without any restrictions because it is the festive season,” Bandara said. 

He added that production at the Labugama and Kalatuwawa treatment plants would increase to normal levels during this period. 

The restrictions primarily affected areas supplied by the Labugama and Kalatuwawa systems, including Hanwella, Padukka, Homagama, Godagama, Meegoda, Magammana, Piliyandala, Kesbewa, and Pannipitiya. 

In contrast, most parts of the city of Colombo remained largely unaffected, as around 80% of its water supply is sourced from the Ambatale treatment plant, which draws from the Kelani River. 

“There was no effect on Ambatale because the Kelani River has enough water,” Bandara noted. He added that the remaining 20% of supply, which depends on the declining reservoir levels, was where the management plan had been implemented. 

“Between the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, the Covid-19 issue, and the 2022 economic crisis, funding for our projects stopped completely. In the last five years, not even one cubic metre of water has been added to our system. The levels at Ambatale, Labugama, and Kalatuwawa have stayed the same for 10 years.”

To address the recurring shortages, the NWSDB is planning several long-term projects. These include a new 500,000 cubic metre per day treatment plant at Ambatale, expected to be tendered by May, and a 72,000 cubic metre per day project at Kalu Ganga, also slated to commence in 2026. 

While these projects are expected to strengthen supply capacity by 2028 or 2029, Bandara stressed that the immediate priority was managing existing resources. 

He urged the public to minimise water wastage, particularly in schools and public institutions, in order to help sustain supply during the ongoing dry period. 

Earlier this month, the NWSDB appointed a special operations committee to monitor and manage the ongoing drinking water shortage, amid rapidly depleting sources caused by prevailing dry weather and diminished production capacity. 

The committee, comprising relevant officials, has been tasked with overseeing water distribution and ensuring the effective management of limited resources.

The NWSDB said that the committee would continuously monitor existing water sources, production capacity, and supply patterns. It added that daily and weekly reviews would be conducted within set timeframes to assess conditions and respond to emerging issues. 

Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology has warned that a possible El Niño event during the upcoming southwest monsoon could prolong drought conditions in Sri Lanka until September. 

Meteorology Department Additional Director General Ajith Wijemanna stated that below-average rainfall was likely during June, July, and August if El Niño developed, heightening the risk of extended dry conditions.

“Owing to this situation, comprehensive water management measures must be implemented across all sectors, particularly for drinking water and irrigation systems,” he said.

Wijemanna also noted that high temperatures were expected to persist throughout April, with only gradual relief in the following weeks. While the southwest monsoon is forecast to begin within the next few weeks, he said that the severe conditions at present were likely to ease significantly only after the third week of May.