Deyata Kirula development final days:

A'pura reviving past glory

Text and Pictures by Nimal Wijesinghe- Anuradhapura Additional district group correspondent

With only less than one week ahead for the culmination of the accelerated Deyata Kirula 2012 Anuradhapura district overall infrastructure development programme, Anuradhapura is reviving its past glory and grandeur looking festive and rejoicing.

The Oyamaduwa Deyata Kirula exhibition will be inaugurated simultaneously to the Anuradhapura based state National Independence Day celebrations.

Under the Deyata Kirula 2012, the Rs 21,000 million worth district development programme has given priority for the upgrading of electricity, drinking water, housing and transportation facilities.

North Central Province Water Supply and Drainage Board Deputy General Manager L.L.A. Peiris told the Daily News that for improving drinking water facilities in 22 Divisional Secretariat divisions in the Anuradhapura district, Rs 1884.9 million was invested. This programme includes the new water supply project nearing completion at the Oyamaduwa exhibition site.

Peiris said the project based on the Thalawa Oya would be able to treat and distribute 2,000 cubic meters of drinking water per day. This will be the major drinking water source for about four million visitors arriving at the exhibition site from February 4 to 10.

"The Oyamaduwa new drinking water project will cater nearly 10,000 families in Oyamaduwa and the suburbs once the exhibition is over. The WSDB spends Rs 600 million for this project," the Deputy General Manager added.

CEB North Central Deputy General Manager Graitain Muthukudaarachchi said referring to the Deyata Kirula and rural electrification schemes, projects worth around Rs 600 million were nearing completion in addition to the Rajarata electrification programme which has been accelerated parallel to Deyata Kirula.

"We have, on the instructions of Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, embarked on constructing 49 rural electrification schemes on the basis of seven programmes in one electorate in the Anuradhapura district. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has patronized in allocating to the NCP Rs 8,000 million to provide every household in the region with electricity through 550 new RE schemes. We, with the speed gathered resulting from Deyata Kirula, have succeeded in completing 80 electrification schemes and 418 electricity extensions at Rs 800 million," Muthukudaarachchi said. He pointed out that the new electricity line up to Oyamaduwa would serve the purpose of supplying electricity to the suburban areas in the near future.

Under the Anuradhapura district development programm, the Road Development Authority has been rendering a great service to make the event a success by the rehabilitation, restoration and modernization of dilapidated and once war-battered road system in the district.