Let Them Drink Rice Wine: Withholding Water as Punishment on the East Coast?
Repost This ArticleIf you look at Batticaloa District on a map, you’ll see that in a sense there are two Districts.
The first is the coastal strip, where you find Batti, Kattankudy, Valachchenai, and other towns and villages. I’m only guessing, but it seems to me that some 90% of the Districts’ population lives in this narrow band of land.
As you will see on your map, a long sinuous lagoon separates most of the coastal strip from the interior, which makes up the bulk of the District. The interior is sparsely populated and there are no real towns to speak of; at best you could call them small villages or hamlets.
I am most familiar with Mamunai West Division, which is located directly opposite the lagoon from Batticaloa town. I’m quite familiar with many of the farming hamlets that dot the area, and the people who live there. Incidentally, the Division extends west, and includes Unnichchai Tank, one of the largest tanks in Sri Lanka. This is crucial to the point of this article.
In 2007, an agreement was signed between the Sri Lankan Government, the Asian Development Bank (as funder) and a Chinese construction conglomerate called China Geo-Engineering Corporation/Salcon Engineering Berhad/Access Engineering Ltd. to create a water transport system from Unnichchai to the coastal strip. Work was promptly begun, and proceeds apace today. The project is called the Batticaloa Water Supply Project.
To date, numerous Chinese-style water tanks have mushroomed up and down the coastal strip, and many roads have been dug up in order to lay massive pipes. This includes the dirt tracks that pass as roads in Mamunai West. The project is busily underway, and is slated to be completed in March 2010.
Water is an extremely serious problem in the Mamunai West. Or rather the extreme lack of it. During the long, dry, hot season, the water table disappears beneath the bedrock and many places literally are bone dry. For example, a friend constructed a water tank in the hamlet of Palakkadu. Palakkadu is so dry they had to pay a village boy to pedal his bike along the dirt track to a still-functioning tube well several kilometers away to fetch enough water to mix the cement. That’s how dry it is. The local Divisional Secretary (DS) has tried to improve the situation by bringing in NGOs to dig deep (and very expensive) tube wells, and has a water truck that makes the rounds.
There have been two serious consequences from this project in the Division, and they largely depend upon which part you live.
If you live near the tank, you have lost almost all of your water supply. Prior to the project, there was a British colonial era conduit that regulated flow from the tank. This conduit maintained the area water table. While the water table was deep, too deep to dig a conventional open well for example, it did allow for deep tube wells to be drilled and old fashioned hand pumps were adequate to bring it to the surface.
However, the conduit has now been closed and as a result, the water table has fallen drastically. The deep tube wells no longer draw anything near sufficient amounts of water. One well I saw takes about 10 minutes of pumping to draw a liter of water. Every couple of liters-full of water brought up, and pumping must stop for a half hour or so to allow more water to accumulate. People are now queuing up hours to get a couple of liters of water, sometimes well into the night. On top of this, much of Mamunai West is jungle, so there are issues with wild animals at night, particularly wild elephants.
If you live closer to Batticaloa, the problem is much the same. The difference is that while the DS water truck didn’t service those areas near the tank (as there was water available) it did on the sun-baked eastern half of the Division. However, due to the fall of the water table, the government pump no longer draws water, rendering the truck useless.
In both cases, the Division is littered with all those expensive tube wells the NGOs drilled, and almost all of them are now worthless. The few that work are now drawing water from a depth that contains sodium. I’ve tasted it. While not as salty as the ocean, it is definitely not fit for drinking. I could taste the salt in my mouth for the rest of the day. (Let me be precise; the water still drawn near Unnichchai is fit to drink; the water in the eastern half is not.)
I am not associated with this project, so I don’t really know the ins and outs of it, nor do I know authoritatively what the final project will look like. I can only report what the people have been told, which is what they tell me. And in a sense, perception is more important than truth.
First, the fall of the water table will be permanent and will probably go lower. The conduit is closed permanently, and all outflow will be piped directly to Batticaloa.
Second, the residents of Mamunai West will not see a drop of the water. There are no plans for water towers, tanks, or taps in the Division.
Third, the project itself has brought no economic benefit to the people of Mamunai West. For example, at the edge of Palakkadu is a big, brand new water control station and pump. However, no one from the Division has been able to get a job with the project, not even as construction labor.
Don’t get me wrong. Water is a big concern for the coastal strip which does, after all, represent 90% of the population. It is a good thing that the water will be efficiently transported to where it is needed. There is no argument about that.
But why can’t the people of Mamunai West also benefit? The pipes are going right past their villages. True, it would be a waste to put a tower/tank/tap in every hamlet, but surely three or four can be put in central locations so that locals can drink good water? Surely, compared to the amount of money being spent on coastal infrastructure, the additional cost for Mamunai West would be tiny? So too would be the amount of water consumed.
So why are the residents of Mamunai West being ignored by the planners of this project? I will tell you. It involves a little history, so bear with me.
First, let me say that I have no documentary proof of this; there is no “smoking gun.” However long history of living here has given me a lot of experience, which, when dosed with common sense, leads to the following:
During the recent civil war, the District was politically/militarily divided in almost the same way Batticaloa Lagoon divides region. Specifically, during the last half-decade of the conflict, the coastal strip was largely controlled by the Government and/or its militia proxies, in particular the TMVP. The interior was still controlled by the LTTE. The TMVP and LTTE were engaged in a cloak and dagger war up and down the costal strip. White van-ing was common, and you could hear gunshots at night.
In 2007, the military rolled through the interior of the District, defeating the LTTE and eventually brought the entire Province under government control.
The people of the interior were labeled “pro-terrorist suspects” in a way similar to what is going on now in the North. The result was the military turned its back while their allied militias launched a witch-hunt in the interior. The rumours trickling out of the interior were so bad that the government even prevented foreigners such as myself from entering the area, ostensibly for our security. Mamunai West, being opposite of Batticaloa, was considered a terrorist hotspot, and the people suffered accordingly.
By the second half of 2008, things had calmed down and foreigners were allowed to enter.
OK, so what?
It’s just that one can’t help noticing that the areas left out of the project are precisely the areas that are supposedly “pro-LTTE” whereas the TMVP relies on what little popular support it has strictly on the costal strip, which will benefit from the extra water.
I hate to sound cynical, but could it be that if the situation were reversed, if the interior was TMVP territory, that the pipes would stop in Vavunatheevu, the Division village closest to Batticaloa? On suspects that it would be so.
What one can conclude is that this project, while indeed helpful to most people, was also created and implemented as a method of reward and punishment, and the shoring up of shaky political allies, not only as a humanitarian project.
I want to stress something, if only to cover my own rear end, as foreigners are barely tolerated by the authorities in the east. This situation is in no way based on ethnicity, or religion. It SEEMS to be based purely on politics, national and local. I am only pointing out that this project has the appearance of being shaped by politics, rather than a desire to help ALL the people of Batti District.
Again, let me reiterate; the project will be very helpful for Batticaloa and its environs. Many people will benefit. The problem is not the project itself, but its motivation and its effects on the people of Mamunai West. Overall there will be tremendous benefit. But really, couldn’t the project planners to a little something to offset the damage they’re doing to Mamunai Wests’ water supply? I mean just a tiny little something?
I would very much like to get a posted response from someone involved in this project that addresses this issue. In fact, it’s my hope that by writing this, that Someone Important will tell Someone Else Important, and so on, and that the situation can be fixed. I hope something positive can come from this article.
Food for thought. Or should I say, water?
These petty water projects are bound to fail in the future. The only long lasting plan will be to continue on with the Mahaweli – Maduru Oya scheme. That will bring hefty amounts of water as Batticoloa will be supplied upstreams than North Central province.
But the problems will resettlements will come, and Tamil chauvinists will want to keep their majority in the district and will vehemently oppose any settlements of Sinhalese or Muslims.
Mr. Migara.
Hello.
I’m not sure why you brought up Tamil chauvinism and non-Tamil settlements. The article is about a division in Batticaloa and the problems with a water project. Mr. (or Madame – sorry again, Atheist!) Batti specifically says this isn’t a religious or ethnic issue but an environmental one caused by local Tamil politics.
Unless, of course you are trying to imply that the authorities are trying to force people to abandon their land by thirst, thus freeing it up for settlement by non-Tamils? Batti doesn’t say this.
Although I’m not Tamil, personally I don’t see the problem with Tamils wanting to be the majority in those Districts where they already are the majority. I mean, Sinhalas control all the other Districts already, yes? And I thought that we all are Sri Lankans, despite what ethnicity we happen to be born in. At least that’s what I read the President and others saying in the papers.
But again, that’s not the subject of the article; let’s keep to the topic on hand.
One thing that Batti does not address, and maybe he can’t, is this: who is getting the money? Such a project is probably expensive. Water aside, someone is benefiting financially, you can be sure of that!
@ doomed to repeat it
You may be aware that inner Batticoloa district is under the Mahaweli development scheme. Mannar, Vavuniya and part of Mullativu also included in original project. I feel this is the only lasting solution for water problem in Batticoloa. Leave the party politics, what ever they do have to have long term success. The only possible long term solution is diverting Mahaweli water to east.
//personally I don’t see the problem with Tamils wanting to be the majority in those Districts where they already are the majority
The Mahaweli project is funded by foreign aid, and every Sri Lankan is paying that through taxes. Everyone should have equal chance to resettle in developed lands, since everybody is equally paying back. Then people who lose their livelihood due to the project has to be resettled in developed land, because they are the ones who gave most.
IMHO Mahaweli project should be completed as it is the only realistic plan that can provide water to East. And resettlement should be planned according to the national and provincial demographics both.
Let them drink rice wine? Ha, give ‘em what the rice journalists drink!
“But the problems will resettlements will come, and Tamil chauvinists will want to keep their majority in the district and will vehemently oppose any settlements of Sinhalese or Muslims.”
State-sponsored Sinhalese settlements backed by military bases. I am not a Tamil either, but if I were, even I would oppose that.
Hi Migara.
If the project is funded by foreign aid, how are Sri Lankan taxpayers paying for it?
At any rate, what about those people who may be forced off their lands, if it should happen, through the lack of water the writer talks about? Maybe they should get priority for any newly developed land.
How can one reconcile the Provincial demographics with the national ones? In the east they are two different things. I think in Batticaloa District, there is a large majority of Tamils, whereas nationally Sinhalese are the big majority. When trying to settle newly developed lands in Batticaloa, which demographic do one try to follow? And wasn’t the settlement of Sinhalese in Trinco district one of the main complaints (right or wrong) of both Tamils and Muslims, and a contributing factor to the war? Would doing the same in Batticaloa contribute to more strife?
I’m just worried about repeating past actions that could bring our beautiful country to war again.
At any rate, the article is about this Chinese project, not about Mahaweli.
Doomed to repeat it,
“Unless, of course you are trying to imply that the authorities are trying to force people to abandon their land by thirst, thus freeing it up for settlement by non-Tamils?”
Why would non-Tamils emigrate to a place where there is no water?????
“Although I’m not Tamil, personally I don’t see the problem with Tamils wanting to be the majority in those Districts where they already are the majority. I mean, Sinhalas control all the other Districts already, yes?”
How would you feel if you heard Sinhalese insisting that Colombo or Nuwara Eliya should have Sinhala majorities?
Good point about Colombo and Nuwara Eliya. Thanks.
I’m just not sure which demographic, National or “Eastern Provincial” (not sure what the term should be), to use when settling folks into newly opened areas in the east. I’m referring here to Migara’s post above.
However, when I see Sinhalese in the south welcoming with open arms whole new communities of Tamils moving in under government resettlement programs to share the benefits of projects there , then I’ll tell Tamils in the east to get over their fears of being overwhelmed.
We all know that resettlement and ethnic balance is a very touchy subject here. Rightly or wrongly, there is fear among some Tamils in the east of Tamil culture and political power being diluted. It’s one of the reasons given for the war, and was used as an excuse for atrocities against Sinhalese. As I said before, my big hope is that we don’t blindly repeat past actions and find ourselves at war again in another generation.
You’re right of course to say that no one wants to live where there is no water. But abandoned land can be used in the future for water and settlement schemes.
I have no idea if this is the “plan” in the Division mentioned in the article. Probably not. But I bet there are people who think it is. I mean, everything here is automatically politicized. I wish it wasn’t so. What did Freud say: “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”
Colombo is a different situation. As far as I know, there haven’t been any government programs to settle anyone from any group outside Colombo into Colombo. And I think that’s what makes it different. It seems a bit more organic than State programs to open lands with an eye towards favoring one group (any group) over another. If a big development scheme is completed in a Sinhalese area, then the majority of beneficiaries ought to be Sinhalese, especially if they are local to that area. These project should help local people first, whatever the ethnicity. I think that’s reasonable, yes?
I would be interested in knowing if there have been any similar situations in other areas, meaning that one area has suffered because a project was built on their lands to benefit a different area. I’m interested because I would like to know what those people did about it, if anything, and what the results were. Does anybody have any examples to offer?
Coming back to the original issue:
I am well aware about the water situation in Manmunai West and thank Little Batti very much for this great article which gives a v. good insight in the actual situation and analysis.
I have one little addition:
Another reason behind the scenes is the cutting of governmental subsidies for Water AND the profit orientation of the Water Board who administers and sells the UnnichchaiWater. Most probably profit orientation/cutting of subsidies/privatisation(?) was a condition of getting the project funds. This way, it is simply not profitable for the Waterboard to run outlets (water tap and possibly treatment plant) in such scarcely populated areas.
About privatisation of public goods such as Water please refer to cases in Latin America where most of the Water was privatised which resulted in high prices and a very unequal access to water (e.g. Nicaragua, Brazil, Chile etc) – which again often resulted in public riots . However, here you can also study new public water management approaches from which all citizens benefit (e.g. Porto Allegre and other towns in Brazil, Venezuela).
With accepting WorldBank money and projects, taking credits from IMF and the like, Sri Lanka sells its souvereignty – not the sovereignty of the ruling elites but the sovereignty of the Sri Lankan people who will have to suffer the results of profit orientation and privatisation of public goods. What happens to the villagers of Manmunai West ist just that and just one exampe how it works and what will come in the future. And thats not only a question of ethnicity or religion. Thats a question of power and money!
One other addition:
In the ADB Document (report and recommendation about a loan for the SECONDARY TOWNS AND RURAL COMMUNITY-BASED WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROJECT (www.adb.org/Documents/RRPS/SRI/rrp_sri_31501.pdf) you can read the following:
“The construction of this scheme may require raising the Unnichchai Tank bund to increase raw water availability for domestic consumption.
During construction, the tank water level may have to be lowered to below the level where the tank can provide water. This may deprive for ONE dry season the source of livelihood of 1,898 farmers and 2,200 wage laborers who depend on the tank for irrigation, and 177 fishers who may not be able to fish for one year. Although engineering solutions to avoid disrupting irrigation are still being explored, NWSDB has prepared a draft compensation plan in the event that the people will be affected by the tank augmentation.”
Whether these compensations were paid is a big question. I havent heard of it.
BUT the point is that they say ITS FOR ONLY ONE YEAR.
So lets hope that the dry season this year will not be as depriving as that of last year.
“Let them drink rice wine” as the title suggests reminds one of the famous French quote by then Empress to the people “If they don’t have bread, let them eat cake” which ushered in the French Revolution! Now that the war in SL is over and elections are ahead the people of Manmunai West should perhaps canvass with their electoral candidates to bring about a rational change to meet local human needs first while also looking into the more distant needs for water within the overall water availabilty regimen of the Unichchai tank. As Frank says above, the Local Water Authorities could also learn from experiences in other countries. Unfortunately the solution may not only be purely technical but also part political based on needs of local people.
Little Batti has also adverted to the prolonged dry season which accentuates water shortages during several months of the year. Is it at all feasible for people to collect rain water from the house roofs in large containers like in the Maldives, for example, to augment their needs during the dry season. There may be initial costs involved but thereafter it will be free of water leviesa as on the ‘island’. Of course such a scheme may not at all be feasible with thatched roofs. Besides roofs have to be kept free of the ubiquitos crows by some protective means. Just an idea.
The local people of Manmunai West perhaps have been one of the most neglected communities in SL even before the war. They need a break out of the vicious circle of extreme poverty and rancour at least now.