Attempt To Privatize The Water Resources Of Sri Lanka

Crisis

A cabinet approval has been obtained for a loan of 110 million US dollars  to be obtained from the World Bank with a annual interest of 1.25% which will eventually force the government and authorities to privatize the natural water resources. Therefore the government should levy a fee for the usage of the water resources.

CENS national coordinator, Ravindra Kariyawasam, explains that “the project is called Climate Change and Water Resources, and belongs to the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management”. According to the environmentalist, the Ministry of Finance and had assigned the Dam Safety and Water Resources Planning division to carry out the project according to a letter no W/D/M/01/L addressed to the Irrigation and Water Resources Management Ministry .

Sri Lanka is not among those countries with scarce freshwater resources, thanks to the presence of six aquifers scattered throughout the island . However, these resources suffer intense seasonal variations, as the country receives rain mainly during the two monsoons : the one that runs from late May to late September and hits the Southwest, and the one that stretches from November to February and hits the Northeast.

This means that large areas tend to suffer drought. Most fresh water is used for irrigation and hydroelectric power plants. On a national level, the drinking water supply is piped to nearly 90% of the urban population; in rural areas, water is available to about 60% of the population through protected wells.