N'Eliya 'spring festival' facing severe water shortage

A severe water shortage is threatening preparations for Nuwara Eliya's spring festival, that begins tomorrow, April 1 and continues until April 30.

However, the prevailing drought is posing problems to the authorities, who are facing a challenge to provide an uninterrupted supply of water to the town and its environs.

According to the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Commissioner Sujeewa Bodhimanna, the dry weather, has reduced the water level capacity in reservoirs supplying the precious liquid to the Nuwara Eliya town to just 20 percent of its capacity.

“As such, we have taken steps to pump as much water as possible from tube wells within the municipal council limits and distribute it. Hotels in the town are being supplied with water via Municipal Council bowsers, she added.

Municipal Engineer K. Ratheeskumar said that 5,000 cubic metres of water were required on a daily basis to meet drinking water needs of Nuwara Eliya residents, hotels and other institutions.

Drinking water however, was also being used for farming, construction, watering of lawns and washing vehicles, meaning that daily drinking water requirement had now rocketed to 8,000 cubic metres, he added.

' Nevertheless', Mr Ratheeskumar said ' eight more bowsers had been mobilized to continue providing water to the Nuwara Eliya town during the Spring Festival season and ensure basic amenities were in place.

Municipal Commissioner Ms Bodhimanna appealed to both town residents and tourists arriving for the festival to use water sparingly, in view of the prevailing weather conditions.

Meanwhile, Nuwara Eliya Mayor Chandana Lal Karunaratne said they are making preparations to cater to some one million local and foreign tourists who are expected to flock to Nuwara Eliya throughout April.

Special arrangements have been put into operation to provide water through this period, he stated.

“Two non-functioning tube wells have already been made operational again. We have also made arrangements to provide water to each area according to its needs. We however urge everyone to use water sparingly.”

The 2019 Nuwara Eliya Spring Festival will commence tomorrow with a marching band procession that will see the participation of 2,000 schoolchildren.