Sri Lanka Air Force Flies Monks Over Drought-Hit Regions in Traditional Prayer for Rain

Sri Lanka's Air Force flew Buddhist monks over drought-stricken regions on Saturday evening, with the monks chanting prayers and airmen sprinkling holy water in a symbolic appeal for rain, as the island nation grapples with what officials describe as its "worst" El Niño climate phenomenon.

Three saffron-robed monks chanted prayers aboard a Y-12 fixed-wing aircraft during the flight on the evening of September 19, invoking divine intervention to end the prolonged drought. Air Force personnel on board sprinkled holy water from five-liter plastic bottles over the affected areas below.

The ceremony comes as Sri Lanka confronts severe dry conditions linked to an El Niño weather pattern that Environment Minister Dhammika Patabendi has called the country's "worst" ever. According to disaster management authorities, more than 115,000 people across seven districts have been affected by the drought, with the government supplying drinking water to over 113,000 of them.

Monaragala district in the southeast has been the worst affected, with 41,360 people from 12,732 families impacted. Authorities are also supplying water to affected populations in Batticaloa, Badulla, and Ampara districts.

Water reservoir capacity has fallen to approximately 47.3 percent nationally, according to the Irrigation Department. Major reservoirs managed by the department stand at around 34.4 percent, while reservoirs in the Ampara, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee districts have dropped to roughly 20 percent. The drought has also caused significant livelihood losses, with 78,368 people from 25,037 families across seven districts losing their means of income, primarily in the agriculture, fishing, and livestock sectors.

At Yala, Sri Lanka's largest wildlife park in the southeast, two of six visitor blocks have been closed due to the drought.

The Meteorology Department has also warned that heavy downpours could hit other parts of the island nation of 22 million people in the coming months.

Weather experts forecast that current dry conditions will give way to heavy rains from late September through December. However, those rains are expected to be followed by another prolonged drought in early 2027. Environment Minister Patabendi has warned that "the drought will be very severe between January and April, and that is when we will face serious challenges."

The government has established a ministerial subcommittee to coordinate preparations for the impending crisis, and authorities have urged rice farmers to begin the main planting season about two weeks ahead of schedule to take advantage of expected early rains.