Total cost - Rs 9,000 M
Anuradhapura becomes a major component of the national ‘World Water
Day’ celebrations as for the first time a pilot project provide pure
water to a rural distant village sans any water supply scheme closely
through a fleet of bowsers until such time a permanent water supply
scheme has been established.
The remote village called ‘Billewa’ in the Mahawilachchiya DS
Jurisdictions in Anuradhapura district is the venue for the project. The
following is a discussion the ‘Daily News’ had with North Central Water
Supply and Drainage General Manager LLA Peiris in connection with the
World Water Day’s Billewa project.
Question: Why is World Water Day exceptionally important to
Anuradhapura district?
Answer: It has been decided by Water Supply and Drainage
Minister Dinesh Gunawardana on par with the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ - Future
Vision to launch a program to supply pure drinking water to distant
difficult villages where there are no community water supply schemes. We
have selected Billewa village in the Anuradhapura District where the
largest number of kidney patients in Anuradhapura district is found. On
the success of this pilot project the program would be expanded.
Question: It is the task of the (NCP) WSDB to provide pure
water to the people in Rajarata. At a recently held workshop on
sanitation NCPS Chief Secretary said that kidney ailments were spreading
in a speedy manner due to lack of pure water and there were nearly
20,000 kidney patients in Anuradhapura district. Would you like to
comment on this please?
Answer: Yes I admit that most probably the consumption of
polluted and brackish water would lead to spreading of kidney diseases,
dental and borne diseases ‘as such ground water containing high degree
of fluoride and heavy metal molecules’.
A high number of patients are recorded from the Padaviya,
Karuwalagaswewa, Mahawilachchiya, Kekirawa, Galenbindunuwewa and
Medawachchiya areas. Under these circumstances, the only alternative is
to encourage rural community to take to consume surface water in place
of ground water.
We are planning to achieve this goal with the assistance of Sarvodaya,
Plan Sri Lanka, UNICEF, Gemi Diriya and the Gama Neguma organizations.
Question: Well, would you please explain the nature of
programs already launched to fulfill this requirement?
Answer: The Asian Development Bank and the World Bank are
financing large-scale rural water supply projects in NCP.
During the past few years under the ADB and WB patronage 235 rural
water supply projects have been completed. Out of the population of
nearly 1.23 million, 50 percent receive pipe borne water supply
facilities at present. Work of Polonnaruwa Urban Water Supply scheme,
Medirigirya, Minneriya, Hingurakgoda, Ipologama Thirappane and
Mahanelubewa are nearing completion. This is in addition to 75 rural
water supply schemes being funded by the ADB. The whole project costs Rs
9,000 million.
Question: Yes have said that it is the intention of the
Government to provide every village in NCP with pure surface water. Are
you prepared to meet this challenge and achieve your tasks?
Answer: Yes, we have been preparing plans to implement this
program. Under this program under the Anruadhapura South and North
Projects Mahakanadarawa and Wahalkada reservoirs would become the two
main sources of providing pure drinking water being purified at our
plants.
In addition the present drinking water supply capacity of the
Tisawewa Thuruwila and Nuwarawewa reservoirs would be enhanced to
provide pipe borne drinking water to nearly 100,000 families, instead of
present 25,000 families. We have also planned to start rural and urban
water supply schemes to cater to Eppawala, Tambuttegama, Padaviya,
Kekirawa, Palagala, Pimburuttewa, Gallella, Mahawilachchiya, Manampitiya,
Welikanda, Dimbulagala, Elahera, Lanka Pura and Bakamuna areas using the
main reservoirs and water sources like the Mahaweli river, Kala Oya etc.
The estimated cost for this purpose is around Rs 60,000 million.
Question: Have you got adequate funds to activate this giant
program?
Answer: The Government has initiated plans to secure funds
from donor countries like China, Korea, India, UK and Iran in addition
to Treasury funds.
Question: Are there other plans for the future?
Answer: Yes, certainly we are planning to start water bottling
attaching to our purification, plants to provide 20 litres of bottled
water at a cheap price around Rs 25 to 35 which costs Rs 200 to 250 in
the market today.
We hope to initiate this project at Thuruwila. We also hope to open
watersheds similar to patrol sheds to provide retail and bulk drinking
water first in NCP to cater to the requirements of the people and
institutes.
