As drought conditions become increasingly severe, the people of the Raja Rata region are engaged in a battle to find water…

People walking on the main road in search of water is a common sight in villages like Kohomba Damana and Maha Ambagaswewa in Medirigiya, Polonnaruwa.

All that is left in some villages in this region which is famed for its mighty reservoirs, is muddy water.

A News 1st team in the area met a mother, who has been tasked with removing soil from the well which her husband digs every evening when he returns from work as a hired laborer.

Throughout the day, she suppresses her own thirst as she searches for even a drop of water to give her children.

“I got into the well to try and find water for my family. My two children cannot go to school because there is no water. I am going through all these hardships because my children are precious to me.” She said

All that is left in some villages in this region which is famed for its mighty reservoirs, is muddy water

While all the wells in the village of Maha Ambagaswewa have dried up, the only source of water is the well at the village temple which, unfortunately, is also drying up swiftly…

“We cant take a bath because the water is muddy. We had five dogs in our house but three of them have died due to the lack of water. We too will face the same fate if we continue to live like this.”

“There are 1000 people in this village but not even 100 of them have access to clean drinking water. ”

“The people in this village go down to the tank and obtain water even though they are aware that they could contract various diseases like kidney disease. But they have no choice because there is no solution to this problem.”

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