Sri Lanka mulls seawater for drinking needs amid drought fears

Colombo, June 11 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka may be forced to purify and distribute seawater for drinking purposes if a forecasted severe El Niño event leads to a prolonged drought and depletes the country's main water sources, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) warned.

Addressing a media briefing, Additional Secretary K.G.B. Dharmatilaka said the anticipated El Niño anomaly could reach unprecedented levels, posing a significant threat to the nation’s water security.

He said the country must urgently strengthen preparedness measures, noting that the National Disaster Services Centre currently has only a limited number of water bowsers available for emergency distribution.

Dharmatilaka cautioned that existing resources may not be sufficient if prolonged dry weather conditions set in.

“This El Niño condition could dry up water sources, leaving no sources to obtain water. We may even have to consider purifying and distributing seawater,” he said.

His comments come as the United Nations meteorological agency has warned of the possibility of the strongest El Niño event in a decade.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Department of Meteorology has also forecast dry conditions during July and August, with rainfall expected to drop significantly due to the climate pattern.

Officials warned that reduced rainfall could disrupt both drinking water supply and agricultural activities across the country.