Enhanced water supply to IDP centres

Water Supply Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has directed the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWS&DB) to enhance drinking water supplies to civilians in welfare villages by increasing the number of tube wells and water tanks in the area. The Minister issued this directive when he visited welfare villages in Vavuniya to inspect water supply facilities in them and remedy any shortcomings.

At a meeting with officials it was revealed that the NWS& DB spent Rs. 1 million daily to provide water supplies to welfare villages and maintain the distribution system.

The total expenditure to date on this score is estimated at over Rs. 4,000 million.

The Board has deployed 105 bowsers to distribute water and constructed 142 tube wells.

An additional 4,000 cubic litres of water from the Malwatu Oya is being provided to the camps daily for domestic use other than drinking purposes.

In addition to the NWSDB the UNICEF and several other NGOs have undertaken the responsibility of supplying water to the villages. As UNICEF had failed to provide the agreed water quota the Minister directed the NWSDB to supply the balance quota of the UNICEF as well.

The drinking water supplied to the villages was also subjected to a quality analysis by the Minister during the visit.