Srilanka, Sept. 6 -- The Government is taking steps to prevent farmers from being affected by a double blow from El Nino - water shortages threatening crops now, followed by floods that could destroy them later - as reservoir levels continue to fall in several parts of the country, Deputy Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Minister, Namal Karunaratne told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

Deputy Minister Karunaratne said their immediate priority was to manage the country's water resources carefully and prevent one weather extreme from compounding another - leaving farmers without sufficient water during the drought and then seeing their newly planted crops destroyed by excessive rainfall and flooding later.

"The Government has be...