News
A mitigated monsoon due to El Nino; water levels to plummet
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya
Advising people to use water sparingly, the Meteorology Department yesterday said the rain expected in the coming weeks would be insufficient to raise water levels in upper catchment reservoirs.
The Mahaweli Department statistics show that most hydropower reservoirs, including Rantambe, Victoria, Upper Kotmale, Maussakele, Samanalawewa, Castlereigh, Kotmale and Dayaraba, contain water below 60 per cent of their capacity.
However, the water levels in Randenigala and Bowatenna reservoirs are up to 85 and 87 per cent, while only the Polgolla reservoir has a 101 per cent water level.
Castlereigh: Water level below 60 percent. Pic by Sudath H.M. Hewa
Meteorology Department Director General Athula Karunanayake said the monsoonal rains are expected next month but are likely to be disrupted from June to September due to the effects of the developing El Niño condition.
He added that heavy rains could be expected only during the Second Inter-Monsoon period during October and November.
Therefore, he said that water should be used sparingly.
Deputy Met Director Meril Mendis said the first spell of intermonsoon rains expected next week would occur largely during the evening for half an hour or one hour, and the rains were unlikely to improve water levels of upper-catchment reservoirs.
Mr Mendis pointed out that heavy rains are required to raise the water levels in catchment areas. While such rains are normally expected in May with the monsoon, the El Niño effect over the Pacific Ocean is likely to deter such rains this year.
Meanwhile, the Frontline Socialist Party claimed that the government has decided to release excessive amounts of water to generate hydropower despite the warnings of arid weather conditions.
Party convener Duminda Nagamuwa claimed that the decision to release excessive amounts of water to generate power had been taken at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation on March 24.
He said that at the meeting attended by two ministers—Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation Minister K.D. Lalkantha and Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody—and a large number of officials, a decision was taken to release more than the normal amount of water from the Victoria reservoir to generate hydropower and resolve the prevailing energy crisis.
According to him, Victoria’s water level should be maintained at 405 million cubic metres for use for drinking water as well as to be released for agricultural work.
At the meeting it had been pointed out that Rs 7260 million could be saved by releasing more than the normal amount of water to generate hydropower. However, Mr Nagamuwa claims that they have decided to reduce 330 million cubic metres of water, leaving only 75 million cubic metres of water in the tank.
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