Sri Lanka, Aug. 18 -- Storage levels across 74 major reservoirs managed by the Irrigation Department dropped to approximately 37% of total capacity, highlighting a growing climate and governance challenge. In the agricultural regions of the Dry Zone, water levels in 9 major reservoirs in Ampara fell to roughly 23%, while 4 key reservoirs in Batticaloa stood at 26%, and primary storage bodies in Trincomalee sat at 28%. Agricultural hubs such as Polonnaruwa and Hambantota reported depleted storage of 42% and 43% respectively.

Adding to this hydrological deficit, the Meteorological Department warned of caution-level heat indices between 39 and 45 degrees Celsius across eastern and northern districts, which accelerated surface evaporation fr...