Water and War

The latest fighting in north-eastern Sri Lanka began as a dispute over water 
supplies in the district of Trincomalee. ..A sluice gate here is at the heart 
of the current fighting between the army and Tamil Tiger rebels. The Maavilaru 
sluice gate is five miles from the closest settlement. But the waterway it 
controls provides crucial irrigation for the farmers in surrounding areas. 

The government says it began its offensive last week against the rebels because 
they are stopping water in the areas they control from reaching people in 
government-controlled areas. The Tigers say local people closed the gate in a 
protest over government delays to improvements in the water system

The area hosts a mixed population of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims who have 
lived together since the 1950s. There are some villages with mixed populations 
but most are segregated. Nevertheless people co-exist in relative harmony and 
farmers of all ethnicities work together to manage the irrigation of their 
fields. One source who knows the area and the irrigation system well, told the 
BBC News website: "Contrary to popular belief there is no real ethnic 
hatred.They just want to farm. These are people trying to disengage from either 
side and get on with their livelihoods." ...

...The low price of rice combined with the high cost of fuel, labour and 
pesticide mean that few have made a profit. But there are more critical 
concerns. The southern area served by the waterway has very little natural 
groundwater. That means that people who are now cut off from the Maavilaru 
waterway are deprived of their main water supply. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/5239570.stm

Yet another war for control over natural resources .

alan johnstone , edinburgh br 


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