Water for 89,744 families in Matara, Hambantota

Shirley WIJESINGHE

Over 89,744 families in Matara and Hambantota districts have benefitted from the Water Supply and Sanitation Project implemented under the Urban Development and Sacred Areas Development Ministry, Minister Dinesh Gunawardane said.

The total cost of the project is Rs.1,040 million and Rs. 520 million has been allocated for Matara and Hambantota districts respectively, the Minister added. “This is a clear fulfillment of the stipulations of Mahinda Chinthana to provide pure drinking water and hygienic sanitary facilities to every remote village throughout the country,” Gunawardane said.

Ninety-three Grama Niladari Divisions in eight divisional secretariats have been covered providing water supply and hygienic sanitary facilities to 17,887 families in the Hambantota district. The families who have benefited in the Matara district number 71,875 in 446 Grama Niladhari divisions in 16 Divisional Secretariats.

The Government has been able to save millions of public funds which would have been spent to provide medical facilities to poor under privileged families in both districts, the Minister stressed.

He said that the present Government is very keen to develop water supply and sanitary facilities of the rural community to uplift their living standards and to mobilize them in the national development drive of the country.