Batticaloa District (மட்டக்களப்பு): Addressing the Acute Rural Water Shortage Crisis in Tamil Villages - Analysis and Solutions for 2025
Date: July 28, 2025
Prepared For: District Secretariat Batticaloa, Ministry of Water Supply, Development Partners, Local Authorities, Community Leaders
Prepared By: S.Thanigaseelan
Executive Summary:
Batticaloa District, particularly its rural Tamil villages, faces a severe and worsening water scarcity crisis driven by climate variability, geological constraints, deteriorating infrastructure, salinity intrusion, and management challenges. Existing data from 2020-2025 confirms alarming trends: prolonged dry periods exceeding 8 months annually in coastal areas, groundwater salinity exceeding safe limits (often >1500 µS/cm) in over 60% of tested coastal wells, and significant seasonal water access deficits affecting 70-80% of rural households. Without urgent, coordinated, and context-specific interventions, this crisis will escalate, threatening health, livelihoods, food security, and social stability. This report analyzes the root causes, presents key findings, and proposes a multi-pronged, practical solution framework focused on rainwater harvesting enhancement, managed aquifer recharge, targeted desalination, infrastructure rehabilitation, robust governance, and community empowerment for implementation in 2025 and beyond.
