COLOMBO (News 1^st) – Farmers of Hulannuge, Ampara, who have been battered by a prolonged drought, are now forced to overcome the challenge of herds of water buffalo.

Around 700 families who live in the Hulannuge village fulfill their daily water needs from the Karande tank situated in the center of the village. The tanks also provide the water required for cultivating the fields.

To supplement their incomes when they were unable to cultivate paddy due to the drought, the farmers opted to grow other crops including green gram which have a tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall.

However, they are now finding it difficult to protect their crops due to roaming herds of water buffalo. As the buffalo herds encroach on the tank, villagers are also unable to draw water from it.

According to our correspondent, there are over 4000 buffalo in the Hulannuge village. The farmers are pleading with authorities to relocate the herds so they can continue with their day to day lives.