Monday Jun 15, 2026
Monday Jun 15, 2026
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Sri Lanka could be compelled to purify and distribute seawater for drinking purposes if an anticipated severe El Niño event triggers a prolonged drought and significantly depletes the country’s freshwater resources, disaster management authorities warned yesterday.
Addressing a media briefing, Disaster Management Centre (DMC) Additional Secretary K.G.B. Dharmathilaka said forecasts point to the possibility of an unusually strong El Niño anomaly, raising concerns over water security, agricultural production, and the availability of drinking water in the months ahead.
He cautioned that prolonged dry weather could place unprecedented pressure on the country’s water resources and emergency response capabilities.
“This El Niño condition could dry up water sources, leaving no sources to obtain water. We may even have to consider purifying and distributing seawater,” Dharmathilaka said.
The warning comes amid growing concern among authorities over the potential economic and social consequences of a severe drought, particularly for agriculture, which remains heavily dependent on rainfall and irrigation reservoirs.
Dharmathilaka stressed the need for immediate preparedness measures, noting that the National Disaster Relief Services Centre currently possesses only a limited fleet of water bowsers for emergency distribution.
He warned that existing resources may prove inadequate if dry conditions persist for an extended period and large-scale water shortages emerge across multiple districts simultaneously.
The comments follow recent warnings by the UN’s meteorological agency regarding the possibility of the strongest El Niño event in nearly a decade.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Department of Meteorology has forecast significantly reduced rainfall during July and August as a result of the anticipated climate pattern.
Officials warned that below-normal rainfall could disrupt both drinking water supplies and agricultural activities, particularly in areas dependent on seasonal rainfall and reservoir-fed irrigation systems.
The latest warning also comes a day after President Anura Kumara Dissanayake convened a high-level meeting with officials from the Department of Meteorology, Department of Irrigation, Mahaweli Authority, DMC, and energy sector agencies to review preparedness measures and contingency plans for a possible El Niño-driven drought.
Authorities have already begun reviewing reservoir management strategies, cultivation schedules, and electricity generation plans amid concerns that prolonged dry conditions could affect food security, water availability, and hydropower output.
