Water, an invaluable resource for mankind

Today, purified water has become a luxury as people in many parts of the country grapple with a water crisis

Sri Lanka was known as a hydraulic civilization where villages and communities were built around water sources. The ancient tank cascade system has been recognised as an engineering marvel that kings of yesteryear introduced to Sri Lanka when she was known the world over as the ‘Granary of the East’. This tank cascade system allowed farmers engaged in paddy cultivation to use rainwater collected in small tanks that eventually fed the main tank, nourishing the paddy fields and providing enough water for human consumption. But centuries later, at least one third of the country’s population is vulnerable and deprived of water sources according to the United Nations Development Programme. 

Today, purified water has become a luxury as people in many parts of the country grapple with a water crisis. People living in areas closer to coastal areas complain of high salinity levels in their water, further distancing them from accessing a fundamental resource in day-to-day lives. People in rural villages walk for miles to collect water as they are deprived of a domestic water supply. In certain villages the only source of purified water is a common tube-well. Despite Sri Lanka being an island surrounded by the ocean and blessed with an abundance of water bodies from streams to reservoirs, tanks and rivers, a growing population is facing a crisis in terms of their access to quality water.

Water scarcity has been attributed to many reasons from extreme climate events such as prolonged droughts that deprive water to people living in the dry zone of the country. According to Food and Agriculture Organisation, Sri Lanka’s water stress is already at  90.8%, which means that the country is consuming 90.8% of its total available renewable freshwater resources. The reduced quality of water, limitations to the country’s water production capacity, partial treatment of water are some of the issues that affect Sri Lanka. 

Research conducted on water and wastewater issues in Sri Lanka reveal that depletion and degradation of resources due to anthropogenic activities as a primary problem concerning water resources. Surface inland waters in urban areas are heavily polluted with domestic sewage and industrial effluents. Agricultural runoff is a main contaminant of water resources in rural areas. High content of fluoride have been found in groundwater in certain areas of the dry zone. Groundwater in hard, rocky, alluvial areas, on the other hand seems to have a high concentration of iron. Over-utilization, particularly through tube wells, is another major problem affecting ground water resources in Sri Lanka.

According to the Centre for Policy Alternatives, the right to water in Sri Lanka is intertwined with complex conflict dynamics. Water scarcity and disputes over water rights have exacerbated existing conflicts or trigger new ones, further straining social cohesion. Local data indicates that Sri Lanka faces a diverse range of water-related issues, each contributing to conflict incidents. These issues include damage to water sources due to small hydropower plants, militarization affecting water accessibility, inadequate water distribution policies for cultivation, lack of clean drinking water, abuse of water resources, contamination of drinking water, discrimination in water distribution, deforestation in catchment areas, land acquisition without water facilities, depletion of water sources due to land sales and various cultivation activities, floods due to environmental protection measures, arbitrary actions by government departments, and rising water bills for low-income urban families.

Sri Lanka has addressed water-related issues through policy and legal frameworks. The National Water Supply and Drainage Board, Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (MASL) and the Irrigation Department play key roles in water management. However, the implementation of these policies faces challenges due to administrative inefficiencies, lack of coordination, unaccountable administrative decisions, politically driven bias in policy implementation and resource management, lack of implementation law and inadequate resources.

At this point it is quite apt to recall King Parakramabahu’s famous quote on water conservation and utilisation - “Not a single drop of water that falls from the sky should be allowed to flow to the sea without being used”, which is a sound advice to present and future generations who need to respect the value of this important resource.