JICA renovates irrigation and jetty facilities in Jaffna
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has funded the
Department of Agrarian Development (DAD) to renovate seven irrigation
tanks that required urgent rehabilitation in the Jaffna district.
JICA has supported the restoration of infrastructure in the
North |
JICA has also funded the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources (DFAR) to renovate damaged fishing jetties in the district.
This pilot project of renovating small-scale community infrastructure
facilities in the district before the rainy season, will help boost
livelihood activities of over 2,500 farming and fishing families,
including resettling communities, in Chavakachcheri, Kopay, Chankanai,
Thellipalai, Velanai, Sandilippay and Jaffna, a JICA release said. “JICA
has supported the restoration of damaged infrastructure in the North
since the end of the war. By doing so we hope to address significant
development needs and also contribute to rebuilding the lives of people
who are moved back to their home areas,” said JICA’s Chief
Representative in Sri Lanka Akira Shimura.
The irrigation tank renovation work has helped to harvest more
rainwater and increase groundwater recharge, enabling farmers to use
more water for irrigation purposes even after the rainy season.
The renovated fishing jetties will also enable an increased number of
fishermen to use the facilities once completed. A special feature of
this project is the involvement of local communities in identifying,
designing and reconstructing these facilities.
Irrigation tanks and jetty facilities in the district are managed
mainly by CBOs-Farmer Organizations and Fisheries Cooperative Societies.
JICA together with DAD and DFAR has facilitated CBOs to enhance their
ownership and participation in operating and maintaining these
facilities through community enhancement efforts. |