A shortage of 'Coca-Cola' in the market following damages

You may have recently noticed that Coca-Cola bottles are unavailable when you visited your local small shop or a major supermarket. Apart from large Sprite bottles, no other Coca-Cola bottles are seen on the shelves, and even in restaurants in areas like Maharagama, it has become impossible to get this beverage with lunch.

The main reason for this sudden shortage is the recent 'Ditwah' cyclone that affected Sri Lanka and the severe floods that followed. It is reported that beverage production factories located in Biyagama and Ranala areas have been severely affected by flooding and contamination, leading to a significant disruption in production.

This supply disruption has been ongoing for over two months, and some information sources indicate that engineers from foreign countries, especially Germany, have had to be brought in to repair the damaged machinery in the factories. Due to this situation, 'Coke Zero' beverages are very difficult to find in the market, and many consumers have expressed their concern on social media. Additionally, there is also a reported shortage of aluminum cans, and a decrease in competitive products is also observed as Varun Beverages, which produces Pepsi in Ranala, has also been affected by the floods.

In the face of this beverage shortage, some consumers appear to have turned to alternative local products such as Kik Cola and A1 Cola. While some argue that high-sugar beverages are harmful to health, those with conditions like diabetes are severely inconvenienced by the lack of sugar-free/zero beverages they can consume. It is expected that it will take some more time for factory repairs to be completed and production to return to normal.