Relief for drought-hit farmers

The Government will provide relief to farmers affected by the current drought and those who had abandoned their cultivation, said Irrigation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

The Minister said a task force comprising officers of the Irrigation Department, Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority and the Irrigation and Water Management Ministry will be set up to look into the problems which had arisen due to the current drought and other related issues.

The Minister said over 90 percent of the paddy harvest has been protected due to the systematic management of water by the authorities even though the country is in the grip of a drought. “There is sufficient paddy to last for the next six months”, the Minister said.

The Minister said a water management program will be implemented to overcome the present water crisis in the Mahaweli and other drought-hit areas in the dry zone.Water should be used sparingly until the rains come, he said.