N'eliya to get 18,500 water supply connections with Dutch help

COLOMBO: The Danish Government has provided a loan of euro 20.5 million (Rs. 2.67 billion) to improve the drinking water supply in the Nuwara Eliya District under the Danish Mixed Credit Programme, the Finance and Planning Ministry said yesterday.

The loan is interest free and repayable in 10 years after a grace period of three years.

The project's objective is to increase the quantity and quality of potable water to the people in six towns in the Nuwara Eliya District and provide piped water up to 70 per cent of the population in the project area.

People living in Hatton, Dickoya, Maskeliya, Ginigathena, Walapane, Rikillagaskada and Ragala towns will benefit from this project. On completion, 18,500 new water connections will be provided.

The project will provide an integrated water supply scheme covering these six towns. A number of new intake structures, water treatment plants, storage tanks, water transmission mains and water distribution systems will be built. The National Water Supply and Drainage Board will implement the project. The loan agreement for the project was signed at the Ministry of Finance and Planning.

The agreement was signed by Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundera, on behalf of the Government and Henrik Brink, Vice President of the Nordea Bank on behalf of the Nordea Bank Danmark of Denmark.