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| Sunday, 18 January 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Ambatale level going down: Water cuts in city imminent by ANTON NONIS The National Water Supply and Drainage board has warned of imminent water cuts in the city as the water level at the Ambatale reservoir, the main water source for Colombo and suburbs, is rapidly falling and stand at less than one-and-half feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL). If the level drops a few more inches, the engineers warn that water cuts in the city are inevitable. Consumers have been advised to refrain from indulging in acts leading to water waste to avoid interruption of supplies in the coming days. According to Ambatale Purification Plant Assistant General Manager, Ranjith Perera, the Ambatale tank reaches the `danger zone' when the level drops to nine inches above MSL. Of the three water sources to the city and suburbs, Ambatale tank contributes 80 per cent of the total requirement. Its daily production of purified water is about 110 million gallons. However, Water Board sources said that the production at Ambatale might not be sufficient to meet the present demand which had increased due to the prevalent drought situation. The balance 20 per cent of the requirement of eight million and 15 million gallons respectively per day is fed by the other two water sources, Labugama and Kalatuwawa. While the levels at Labugama and Kalatuwawa too have dropped by 5 feet 4 inches and 9 feet 8 inches respectively below the spill level, they have still not reached the `danger zone'. Depletion of water in the Kelani river is said to have primarily led to the decrease in the water level at Ambatale. The countrywide drought has also affected reservoirs in the upper reaches including the hydro-electric reservoirs of Moussakelle and Castlereigh which directly passes the Kelani river. Meanwhile, Meteorology Department said that substantial rains would not be expected till about April. Meteorologist, S.H. Kariyawasam, said this being the North-East monsoon, it is practically a dry period, but some showers can be expected in the Eastern province, Uva province, North Eastern slopes of the central hills. "We may have to wait until the South-West monsoon begins in the third week of May to expect rain," Kariyawasam said. |
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