Sri Lanka has increased its daily drinking water allocation for drought-affected communities, with the National Disaster Relief Services Centre announcing a significant boost in provisions to address ongoing water shortages.

Authorities have raised the daily drinking water allocation from 6 litres to 15 litres per person in areas experiencing shortages due to current dry weather conditions. The decision, made on presidential instruction, was announced by the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC) through Senior Assistant Secretary Prageeth Danansooriya at a media briefing.

The relief effort extends beyond increased water supplies. Financial resources have been allocated to clean and restore wells and other water sources across affected regions. District Secretaries in impacted areas have already received funds to undertake the necessary restoration work, with provisions for additional allocations should requirements increase.

The NDRSC emphasised that water distribution to affected communities continues without disruption. To ensure assistance reaches those in need, residents experiencing water access difficulties have been advised to report their situations to their local Grama Niladhari officer. This information will be forwarded to relevant Divisional Secretaries to facilitate coordinated relief provision, with the District Secretaries overseeing the overall coordination of relief measures.

The initiative represents an effort to address immediate humanitarian concerns while simultaneously working to restore long-term water infrastructure in drought-stricken areas.