Sri Lankan government has warned of an imminent food shortage, power and energy crisis and a scarcity of water for agriculture because the country did not have sufficient rainfall last year.<br/><br/>Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa told a press conference today that Sri Lanka received only 70 percent of normal rain in 2016 and will not have any significant rain until mid-March. He said that the government would adopt all possible measures to mitigate the effects of bad weather, and appealed to the people to use water and power sparingly. <br/><br/>The minister said that the government has decided to import 250,000 metric tons of rice to offset any possible food shortage. He said the Irrigation Department has already curtailed the supply of water for agricultural purposes in certain areas so as to provide drinking water. <br/><br/>President Maithripala Sirisena, alarmed by the precarious situation, has ordered armed forces to help in drought relief operations. The current government has come under public criticism because of rising prices of essential commodities including rice.