{
  "id": 12836193,
  "title": "Dry wells and shrinking water holes as drought grips Sri Lanka",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/dry-wells-and-shrinking-water-holes-as-drought-grips-sri-lanka",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T09:47:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/video/2026/10/08/dry-wells-and-shrinking-water-holes-as-drought-grips-sri-lanka"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A prolonged drought is affecting central Sri Lanka, causing wells to dry up and water holes to shrink. This is impacting farmers' livelihoods and forcing wildlife to congregate around the remaining water sources. The drought has hit farmers like Samantha Pushpakumara, who had returned to his village in north-central Sri Lanka after the civil war ended, hoping to build a stable life through farming.\n\nThe drought is leaving farmers without a reliable source of water for their crops. According to Euronews, the situation is also affecting wildlife, which is being pushed to gather around shrinking water holes.\n\nThe drought has added to the challenges faced by farmers in Sri Lanka, particularly those who had been displaced by the civil war and were looking to rebuild their lives through agriculture.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "In drought-stricken Sri Lanka, farmers watch wells empty and wildlife crowd shrinking water holes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/in-drought-stricken-sri-lanka-farmers-watch-wells-empty-and-wildlife",
        "published": "2026-10-08T01:07:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}