The proof of a crisis is when the normal
wells in the Gampaha District ran dry, with the falling water table and blame
was laid on heavy water using Industries that are contributing to the economy
and growth. For the purposes of argument, I will just concentrate on this area,
and not the Country as a whole, but with the Tanks in other areas, there is
better provision for stocking water, but even here, tanks must be rehabilitated
to hold more water, then there is more available for agriculture and the
incidence of drought conditions reduced.
The citizens ire should instead have
been directed at the poor harvesting of rain water, and the state not
sufficiently proactive in raising groundwater sources by directing rainwater to
holding tanks to fill aquifers, instead of building more and more canals and
drains to quickly send all rain run off to the rivers and ultimately to the
sea, and prevent flooding.
My contention is we have to use the low
lying lands, much of which are uncultivated paddy lands that are not economic
to cultivate without assured water, as water holding basins with some
intelligent planning, and to direct this excess water to increase ground water
supplies, instead of the current fastest route to the seas.
It is apparent that in the world water
stress index, Sri Lanka which should be at the bottom, meaning the best placed,
is in fact only in the middle, despite all the rainfall.
We must also remember, that due to
climate change, there is short sharp heavy bursts of rain today as compared with
the past, necessitating a storage mechanism, whereas in the past slow drizzles
did not result in water flows, instead would be sucked into the ground in home
gardens, grasslands and plantation sectors. Increasing urbanization, more
concrete and less space for absorption have also exacerbated the problem.
Water Stress – What is it? And why
is it so important for Sri Lanka?
Water Stress – The ability
or lack thereof to meet human and ecological demand for fresh water; compared
to scarcity, water stress is a more inclusive and broader concept.
Water Scarcity – The
volumetric abundance or the lack thereof, of freshwater resources
Water Risk – the possibility
of an entity experiencing water related challenge (scarcity, stress, flooding, infrastructure
decay and drought)
In the report of the link above, Sri Lanka
ranks 77 out of 164 Countries, with 1 being the most water stressed Country being
Qatar and least water stressed at 164 Suriname in South America.
To summarize, despite however much
rainfall we have, if we are unable to harness that and store it for use when we
need it, and instead just let it go all the way to the sea, we could have high
water stress, if our requirements/needs are not met.
IT IS THIS POINT that I wish to
highlight and in this context relate it to the absurdity of drought conditions
for the Western Province that has high rainfall and the state to take immediate
steps to alleviate this stress, with better water management techniques.
We are being told daily that water is
becoming more and more scarce, and so we as a nation must be cognizant of this,
take elementary steps now to minimize the future shocks, and be prepared for
ever worsening conditions of rainfall and flooding and drought conditions too.
It is often that we now see some parts
of this small island having to deal with heavy rainfall, whereas other parts
are suffering drought conditions, a very incongruous situation!
Summary
Why do we have a Government? The responsibility
of the state is to look into the welfare of its citizens, and the access to
water for our daily needs is of paramount importance in this regard, as a
fundamental duty of the state. However, despite all the prognostications and pontifications
that take place, no one in power, or seeking power has even picked up on this
right and promised the citizenry that this will be a priority over others, as
without water, nothing else matters, SURELY!
I simply fail to understand why in
prioritizing what is critical, water does not come right up there as it is synonymous
with environmental preservation as well a key component for the survival of the
human race, that is we care!
2 comments:
The break of rainwater to abandoned paddy fields can be done almost immediately as only minimal dams and earthen mounds are required to hold water. As there are so many fields that are not cultivated in lowland grounds, it is easy to spread this water around liberally that does not result in having large volumes stored in any single place, giving a greater fillip to raising ground water levels
One word is the need of the hour for the survival of humans in Sri Lanka
WELLNESS if you want another of course ENVIRONMENT, both are inter-related
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