Raging floods and lashing rains are a mere distant memory for 50-year-old Ananda Sarath, a paddy farmer from Karuwalabedda, Mahakumbukkadawala, a village almost 40 kilometres away from the Puttalam town, reachable only by a narrow gravel road. An area affected by the floods in May this year, it is now dry and arid with its limited water sources almost depleted.
Puttalam district to which Mahakumbukkadawala belongs to is one of the 18 districts across the island affected by a long spell of drought. While almost 50, 000 families of the district have been in some way affected by the severe dry conditions, around 7000 of those families are from Mahakumbukkadawala.
According to Sarath, as a child, his family had relocated to Mahakumbukkadawala from Nattandiya several decades ago to begin paddy cultivation in the village. “They were the lucrative years and we farmed completely dependent on rainwater” he remembers. Joining his father as a 12-year-old to harvest paddy, Sarath says they were better times.
In 2012, when all 18 acres of his paddy crop failed due to drought he didn’t realise the dry spell would return every year since then. “Since 2015 the situation has only become worse” he points out. In fact, Puttalam has been affected by drought conditions almost 10 months each year in recent times.
Prior to the rain in May, the paddy farmers of Mahagalkawadala, including Karuwalabedda had not cultivated paddy for six seasons. Therefore in May, the villagers had taken the rare opportunity to go back to their farmlands. But even then the precious source had run out fast. “There was not enough water towards the end of the season resulting in major crop failures,” he says. Sarath had cultivated seven acres during the season of which 4 acres had failed.
But as the Maha season draws near Sarath constantly looks towards the sky hoping for a sign of rain. “We should have started cultivating paddy in September for the new season” he points out. Despite his hopes, Sarath over the years has gradually reduced paddy cultivation leaving many of his cultivation equipment lying strewn around his garden while two hand tractors have fallen victim to rust and decay.
To a community whose livelihood is mostly based on farming and animal husbandry, the circumstances have become dire. Suffering from the drought for several months almost every year since 2012, life has become a constant struggle for farmers like Sarath.
Caring for a family of six, Sarath has had to not only earn a living for their upkeep by whatever means possible, but also has to constantly ensure the family has sufficient water for their various needs. According to Sarath the majority of his time is spent collecting water from various sources, at times even purchasing the necessary water from sellers who visit the village to ensure there is a constant supply.
Farming is the only form of livelihood Sarath has known. In spite of the drought he had tried to grow various other crops in a bid to earn a living but instead had failed in his efforts continuously. “I tried planting bananas but without enough water, the trees just died,” he says showing his failed plantation. The coconut trees planted by him suffered a similar fate. Out of 80 trees planted by him, today, only four remain.
While Sarath also rears cattle, the milk production by the animals is now at an all-time low with grass and water to feed the animals becoming a luxury Sarath cannot afford. “At one time there was a yield of 90 litres of milk daily,” he says. On the day the Sunday Observer team visited Sarath, the yield was a mere 14 litres. Having to nourish the animals with store-bought animal feed, the costs have only increased.
Though his costs are far higher than any profit he receives due to crop failures and reduced yields, Sarath says he has no other means of living. “At my age, no one will give me a job and neither are there any employment opportunities in this area,” he said. According to him, the never-ending costs have now almost wrung his finances dry. “But for my family, I must keep trying,” he says determinedly.
But Sarath’s family has been one of the lucky few. Unable to cultivate or find work, a large number of other villagers in Puttalam especially women are now travelling daily to Kalpitiya to work in the fields there as daily wage earners. They are reportedly paid Rs. 1050 per day. However, sources say they have to pay Rs. 250 daily to the lorries providing transport to the workers to the field. But helpless and left without other options many have been heading to Kalpitiya in droves.
But livelihood is not the only issue faced by the people. While tending to his various crops, Sarath also had to collect necessary fresh water for his family. Though the area has several tanks, drought has not only almost dried them empty, the remaining water is high in salinity making it unsuitable for both consumption and farming.
Once in two weeks, the village receives pipe borne water from a water project for a mere 30 minutes, while once a week a seller arrives in the village from whom many villagers, despite, their serious financial circumstances have taken to purchasing water from.
“I buy about two cans from him for Rs. 160” Sarath says. According to him, this lasts for about two days. Though many are not able to afford the cost, the need for potable water and Chronic Kidney Disease being common in the area often compels the villagers to purchase water from the seller.
Four kilometres away from Sarath’s home the village tube well is often packed with villagers jostling with each other to gather water into various vessels. Often the wait is a long one, as the drought has also depleted the groundwater levels in the area. “Sometimes it takes around one hour till we can use the tube well to draw water after one use,” Sarath says.
With water in all possible sources at the danger of completely running out in a matter of weeks, requests for potable water have been trickling in from the area residents. The Mahakumbukkadawala Divisional Secretariat will therefore soon commence distributing water to the area.
According to Divisional Secretary Dilanka Gunaratne, the lack of natural water sources such as rivers in the area often gives rise to the severe drought situation leaving many of the areas groundwater levels and tanks affected.
“Every year, as a result, we have to distribute potable water to the villagers,” he said. The required quantity is currently set at 18 000 litres daily.
Water for distribution is brought to the village from Pallama over 70 kilometres away. Though the water sourced from the tube well there was previously free, after resistance from villagers in Pallama authorities in Mahakumbukkadawala has to now pay between Rs. 750 - 350 for one turn depending on the size of the bowser.
“Wild elephants have also become a problem to villagers already suffering from the drought,” he says pointing out that whatever crops that do not fail are destroyed by the animals while attacks on humans have also become common.
According to Gunaratne who also oversees the Nawagaththegama Division in Puttalam, the situation is far worse there. “They didn’t receive the rains in May and therefore could not cultivate,” he says. In Inginimitiya out of 6000 acres of paddy, not even 1000 acres have been cultivated he revealed. “The people are living tough lives” Gunaratne added.
As a result, the Government authority has now requested funds to provide drought relief to the people. Many in the area are often dependent on various types of government relief including crop failure and drought relief. But the Divisional Secretariat has also had its own difficulties in providing assistance to the people. With no dedicated Disaster Management Coordinating Officer, a Relief Service Officer who also works as the receptionist at the Mahakumbukkadawala Divisional Secretariat has undertaken the duties of providing relief and other assistance to drought victims. The distribution of water is yet another duty is carried out by the Gramasevaka Officers in the areas.
The Gramaseva officer of Karuwalabedda, Janaka Sunanda often collects necessary information on those affected and oversees water distribution. “We provide water to 1000 litre tanks located at various locations in the village once a week,” he said. But according to him what is needed is a long-term solution to the areas water problem. “We are hoping we will receive a constant water supply through a project such as the recently initiated Wayamba Ela project,” he says, a fact Gunaratne agrees with.
“People have not been able to cultivate a single Yala season since 2012,” he says adding that only a permanent water project can resolve the crisis. The rural agriculture-driven economy in the area has now become largely dependent on government subsidies and relief. “If the issue is not addressed the situation will continue to be the same” Gunaratne stressed.
Pix: Rukmal Gamage
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Drought affected numbers on the rise
The number of Sri Lankans affected by the prevailing drought has now reached 903,447 according to the country’s Disaster Management Center (DMC). Among the affected areas to date, the Northern province remains the most affected region, with over 350 000 people suffering.
The conditions have caused extreme heat, lack of water while also severely impacting livelihoods through widespread crop failures.
But as the numbers continue to rise, the authorities have stepped up their relief measures by way of monetary relief as well as provisions. According to the DMC, the Government has reserved over Rs. 13.5 billion as drought relief and have now commenced its distribution to those affected.
“The distribution of the disaster relief funds have commenced through Divisional Secretaries” Media Spokesman of the DMC, Pradeep Kodippili said adding that families affected are also being given food provisions worth Rs. 5000.
According to Kodippili, however, it is difficult to distribute the relief in all areas immediately. “We are also spending a lot to provide potable water to people in drought-affected areas,” he said. Along with the Government, the military, police and private individuals too have been assisting the affected people by providing potable water. This week the Sri Lanka Navy was seen distributing water in Northern, North Central, Eastern and North Western provinces.
Nevertheless, in recent times, several stories of people having to live on bitter gourd or moringa leaves for nourishment has deeply shocked the nation highlighting the severity of the issue. A couple in Kahatagasdigiliya were found to be consuming large amounts of moringa leaves with rice due to the lack of food as a result of the drought. However ,understanding that more long-term solutions are needed, the government this month also launched a program to renovate 17 dilapidated tanks in the Anuradhapura district along with 2400 tanks across the island in a bid to restore the country’s ancient cascade system under the auspices of President Maithripala Sirisena.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture has also proposed the digging of 100 agri wells in affected areas in this year alone. As the Government launched a number of plans as drought relief the recent rains across the country may have also brought renewed hope for the drought affected. The Department of Meteorology on Friday asked the people of the Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, North-central, North-western and Western provinces to expect rain falls up to 100 mm while claiming that showers or thundershowers may also occur at several places in Western, Southern and North-western coastal areas as well.
However, while rains have been continuing throughout the week according to the DMC, it has not made a difference to those affected by the drought.
“The drought situation remains the same with many areas affected still going without any rains,” Kodippili said adding that therefore it has had no impact on the current situation. According to him, the drought conditions remain severe in areas such as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa including the North quashing any hope of relief the people may have had.
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Govt allocates Rs 9 billion for drought relief
President Maithripala Sirisena said last week that the Government had allocated Rs. 9 billion to provide dry rations to nearly 422,000 people who have been affected by the prevailing drought situation in several districts of the country.
Sri Lanka had been ranked fourth in the countries worst affected by weather and climate changes, the President said.
Stressing the need for long-term solutions as well as immediate relief, President Sirisena who hails from a province whose agricultural communities are worst affected by long spells without rain, launched the Cascaded Tank-Village System in Mahavilachchiya, Anuradhapura last week.
Seventeen tanks in Mahawilachchiya and Nochchiyagama Divisional Secretariat Divisions have been selected to be renovated under the first phase of the Cascade Tank-Village System in Anuradhapura district. Experts say these cascading irrigation systems will alleviate the plight of farmers in the region whose crops and harvest suffer nearly every year due to adverse weather and rainfall that does not happen at the right time. The Cascade Tank-Village System is described as a connected series of tanks organised within a micro-catchment of the dry zone landscape, storing, conveying and utilising water from an ephemeral rivulet.
It is an ancient, widely used and unique traditional agriculture system mainly found in the dry zone of Sri Lanka.
The system has evolved over a period of nearly two millennia. It provides water for irrigation, domestic purposes, animals and ecosystems.