Water levels in major and minor irrigation tanks in the Ampara district are depleting rapidly due to insufficient rainfall during the year.
The water level of D.S. Senanayake Samudraya at Igniyagala, Ampara has come down to 17,751-acre-feet, according to the Akkaraipattu irrigation engineer T. Mayooran. The Ampara D.S. Senanayake Samudraya is one of the largest tanks in the Ampara district and has a capacity of 770,000-acre-feet which can provide water to irrigate nearly 120,000 acres of paddy lands.
However, despite the dire situation, paddy farmers of the Ampara district are preparing for the 2019/20 Maha season. The preparatory tillage of paddy land has already commenced.
Agriculture and Irrigation Departments officials have instructed farmers to complete their paddy sowing operations before October 31. About 29,510 acres of paddy land will be cultivated during the Maha season in the Akkaraipattu, Ilukkuchenai, Deegavapi and Veerayadi irrigation divisions in the Akkaraipattu irrigation region, the irrigation engineer said.