President presents two memos:

Cabinet nod for solar energy, waste water management

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

Cabinet approval has been granted for two significant Cabinet memorandums presented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Finance and Planning Minister. They are to introduce clean energy by solar electricity generation system and to implement the Greater Colombo Waste Water Management Project with Asian Development Bank (ADB) funding. Cabinet spokesman and Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said the Japanese Government has agreed to provide a grant of Japanese Yen 860 million (approximately Rs 1,075 million) to construct a 400 KW grid connected solar power generation plant at Baruthankanda, Hambantota.

According to Minister Yapa this grant is extended by the Japanese Government to help the efforts taken by the Sri Lankan Government to address the issues on climate change and to access clean energy.

The project will be implemented by the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority.

The Greater Colombo Waste Water Management Project will be launched with US$ 100 million financial assistance from the ADB. Negotiations have been concluded with the ADB to obtain the financial assistance.

The total investment cost of this project is US $ 116.63 million. The ADB financing will include a loan of US $ 20 million from the Asian Development Fund (ADF) and a loan of US $ 80 million from Ordinary Capital Resources (OCR). The Government contribution will be US $ 16.63 million. The project is aimed at upgrading sewerage infrastructure by rehabilitating the main sewerage system in the Greater Colombo area.

In addition it will strengthen institutional and operational capacity and project management capabilities of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) through implementation support and comprehensive capacity building.

The project will improve urban environment and public health for about 1.5 million urban and suburb residents in the Greater Colombo area through improving marine and inland water.