Abstract:
Jaffna district is located in dry zone of Sri Lanka. The rainfall of Jaffna is stored as surface
water in minor tanks or ponds and recharges the groundwater aquifers. The water is
commonly taken out from groundwater aquifer mostly from wells and little from ponds.
During the dry season, the water level in wells and ponds decreases to the bottom level.
The existence of ponds can be taken as the primary indicator to study the water
availability in dry season. The study focused on existence and utilization of ponds in
Vadamaradchy East Divisional Secretariat area, where, 10.7 percentages of registered
ponds existed in Jaffna district. The primary data were collected through the direct
observation and key informant interviews and the secondary data were also collected
through the records of Department of Agrarian Services and Department of Irrigation.
The utilization of pond plays the multiple roles such as providing water for drinking and
cleaning for human, water for agriculture and animals, acting as flood controller and
spiritual symbol, establishing freshwater ecosystem in direct way and recharges to the
groundwater. The ponds used for agriculture had been reduced by forty and twenty two
ponds were given-up as abandoned and no any changes in other uses. The present
usage of ponds are limited and maintenance is reduced. Poor maintenance of ponds,
construction of private tube well and shallow well at low cost, migration of middle class
especially farmers move to abroad, decreased awareness about traditional knowledge
and scientific meaning to the traditional knowledge among young people, no
mechanism to monitor the maintenance of ponds and the attitude changes of people
are the main reasons. The result of the study indicates that the existence of ponds and
their maintenance have potential repercussion from changes in social conditions.
