Program to regulate Colombo water supply

Shirley Wijesinghe

A program has been prepared to manage and maintain water and sewerage lines of condominiums and other housing schemes in Colombo and suburbs.

According to National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) sources the program will be implemented by the Construction, Engineering Services , Housing and Common Amenities Ministry in collaboration with National Water Supply and Drainage Board and Condominium Management Authority with the assistance of Colombo Municipal Council.

A special Cabinet paper has been forwarded in this regard after a meeting headed by Construction , Engineering Services , Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardana with the officials of National Housing Development Authority, National Water Supply and Drainage Board and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA).

It was revealed at the meeting that most of the water towers and tanks supplying water to residents of housing schemes in Colombo and the suburbs were maintained by the NHDA and it has become a problem to supply water to residents uninterruptedly. As a solution Minister Weerawansa instructed NHDA to hand over water towers and sewerage plants to NWS&DB with the consent of Minister Gunawardana.

The problem of non- settled water bills in these housing schemes were also discussed at the meeting.

NWS&DB had agreed to provide necessary technical guidance for maintenance works of pumping stations and sewerage lines.

Both Ministers pointed out that it is the responsibility of householders to duly make payments to relevant institutions to carry out maintenance work of water and sewerage lines. NHDA, NWS&DB and CMA had been instructed to prepare a suitable work program for this task in two weeks.