All responsible authorities should accept blame for the failure to give advance warning to farmers about a severe
drought during the Yala season, said agriculture minister Mahinda Amaraweera.
No one had cautioned them about such an eventuality and to use water sparingly, he said.
Addressing a function in Kandy, he cited the departments of agriculture,
irrigation and meteorology as well as the Mahaweli Authority of having failed in their duty by the farmers.
As a result, a considerable acreage of paddy fields had been brought under cultivation, and is now faced with irrigational issues.
The state too, had to incur losses after having provided farmers with fertilizer at a subsidized rate, said Amaraweera.
