The Department of Wildlife Conservation is trucking water into Yala National Park every day to keep animals supplied through the current dry spell, using three bowsers at present.
The department has also installed solar panels to generate the electricity needed to pump water into small ponds at six locations inside the park, the Daily Mirror reported. Officials said the capacity of those facilities will be scaled up as conditions require, to maintain a continuous supply through dry periods.
Water provision matters most during prolonged dry spells, when natural sources shrink and animals are forced to travel further to drink.
Minister’s visit
The measures were reviewed when Environment Minister Dr. Dammika Patabendi visited Yala on Sunday, August 16 and met senior Wildlife Conservation Department officials, who briefed him on existing water facilities and other conservation needs in the park.
The same visit covered a proposed redevelopment of the park, reported separately by the Daily Mirror. That discussion was held at the Palatupana entrance in Zone 2, with Environment Ministry Secretary K.R. Uduwawala, Wildlife Conservation Additional Director General (Operations) Manjula Amaranath and Wildlife Division Additional Secretary Udaya Kumara among those attending.
Congestion and facilities
Officials presented a physical development plan with short- and long-term components, aimed at bringing the park in line with international standards while easing congestion for local and foreign visitors.
Particular attention went to parking for vehicles entering the park, upgrading service centres, and facilities able to handle rising visitor numbers. The proposed works cover the park entrance, an information centre, additional ticket counters, a museum, sanitary facilities, souvenir shops and staff accommodation. The department is also working to fill existing vacancies.
Patabendi instructed officials to address the identified problems without delay and to begin work as soon as approvals are obtained.
Yala’s water shortage mirrors conditions at Wilpattu, where wildlife officers began trucking water in late July after the main tanks in the park’s eastern zone ran dry. Bowsers have been sent to forest reserves and national parks nationwide as small tanks across the dry zone empty. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has separately called for low-cost entry tickets to national parks for local visitors.
