Urban residents could go dry for water under a new farmer-friendly national water policy

Urban residents could go dry for water under a new farmer-friendly national water policy drafted by the Agricultural Ministry.



Urban residents could go dry for water under a new farmer-friendly national water policy drafted by the Agricultural Ministry. The latest proposals give farmers priority when it comes to water use and allows water for other economic activity only if there is enough for agriculture.

"This time the focus is on the farmer and agriculture," said J W Seimon, Director, Agriculture Ministry.

The latest document is to replace a previous draft policy developed by the National Water Resources Secretariat that is seen as 'too commercially oriented'.

Now the Agriculture Ministry is hoping to get its own document through Cabinet and develop new water legislation but is not committing on a time frame.

The draft document, released in Sinhala on Monday - is the first step towards realigning water usage to promote agriculture development through pro-farming water policies.

But if the previous policy was too commercialised then the current one downgrades all other economic activities.

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