Archives

Japan to Fund Vavuniya water supply project

The Japanese Government will implement two drinking water supply projects in Vavuniya, the Embassy of Japan said.

Responding positives to the commencement of peace talks in Thailand between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE, the two drinking water supply projects in Vavuniya North, LTTE controlled area, and Vavuniya town are planned as "quick impact projects" to solve the serious shortage of drinking water of residents.

The two projects will be implemented by the Water Resources Board of the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management in collaboration with the Government Agent of Vavuniya.

Rs. 6.6 million and Rs. 3 million will be provided for the two projects for 'emergency drinking and sanitation water supply to resettled refugees in Vavuniya North' and 'augmentation of safe drinking and sanitation water supply in Vavuniya Town' in the Northern Province under the Japanese Government's Grassroots Grant Assistance Scheme.

There are about 10,000 badly affected internally displaced persons (IDP) who have resettled in Vavuniya North.

Considering the necessity and the resettlement of refugees in Vavuniya North, the Japanese Government has pledged grant assistance for the 'emergency drinking and sanitation water supply to resettled refugees in Vavuniya North'.

This project is to construct 30 new tube wells with deep well hand pumps to supply safe water to over 2,000 resettled families in the divisions of Vavuniya North.

The current water supply to Vavuniya town is inadequate to meet the required demand. According to studies carried out by the Water Resources Board and the Government Agent in Vavuniya, there are many IDPs who have been evacuated from the conflict area and are forced to stay in the town with relatives and friends or in refugee camps.

With the ceasefire agreement, many people are moving from South to North, and there is an urgent need to expand the water supply system to meet their needs. Water is drawn from three tube wells and four dug wells at present. Water supply in some parts of the town is only for four hours per day, with a capacity of 800 cubic meters a day. This is inadequate to supply water for over 32,000 people living in the Vavuniya town.

As a solution to these difficulties, the Japanese Government has also decided to provide assistance for the 'augmentation of safe drinking and sanitation water supply in Vavuniya town' project. This project is to construct 12 high yielding tube wells with a pump house in Vavuniya town. It has been designed to give an uninterrupted water supply to the people in the Vavuniya town for 24 hours daily.

The signing ceremony of the two grant contracts will be held on September 23 at the Embassy of Japan. The grant contract will be exchanged between Seiichiro Otsuka, Ambassador of Japan and M. W. P. Wijesinghe, Chairman, Water Resources Board. K. Ganesh, Government Agent of Vavuniya, R. N. Karunaratne, General Manager, Water Resources Board and Dr. (MS.) Noriko Iseki, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan will be present. 

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager