Rs. 432 m water filtering project a white elephant

by M. Nelson Piyaratne, Kataragama Group

The Rs. 432 million water filtering project installed by an Austrian company two months ago for the Kataragama Water Supply Board has become a white elephant as it is unable to purify the expected quantity of water.

The company that installed this water filtering system has guaranted its capability of purifying 5000 litres of water per hour. But the Water Board sources say that this plant can purify only about 2000 litres per hour which is not even sufficient for the need of the Kataragama town.

As a result, during the rainy days when Menik Ganga is muddy, the people of Sellakataragama, Detagamuwa, Vallimathagama and Peragirigama are highly inconvenienced due to the lack of drinking water.It is said that Austrian engineers paid no attention to the instructions of local engineers of the Water Board in the process of installing these machinery.

A high official of the Hambantota District Water supply Board who wished to be anonymous told the Sunday Observer that this is an utter wastage of public funds as this filtering system called "Dyna" suits only the cold countries where the rivers are less muddy, whereas rivers in tropical countries contain more mund in their beds.

He further said that this filtering system has been imported to Sri Lanka on the whims and fancies of several high officials of the Head Office of Water Supply Board.

Meanwhile it is learnt that Minister of Water Supply Mahinda Amaraweera has taken some officials to task regarding this matter.

Meanwhile Detagamuwa tank bund which is near Kataragama Sacred City is in pitch dark due to the lack of street lamps.

The Tissa Kataragama main road is on the 300 metre bund of the tank and several private guest houses and hotels are situated beyond this tank.

Those pilgrims who stay in these places walk to Kirivehera and Kataragama Maha Devalaya are highly inconvenienced due to the lack of street lamps and recently several pilgrims were subject to snake bites as snakes move to and from the tank and the paddyfields through the road on the bund.

When inquired from the Hambantota Electricity Board a high official who wished to be anonymous said that the Board doesn't have the necessary funds to set up street lamps.

Houses for low income families

by Edward Weerasinghe - Kelaniya Group Correspondent

Prices of essential building materials are going up daily. This is mainly due to the massive development work carried out by the Government in every part of the country, especially in the North and the East.

Very huge quantities of building materials are required for the construction projects, said the Western Provincial Council Member Sisira Jayakody at the foundation stone laying ceremony held at Galborella, Kelaniya on Wednesday to construct fifty houses for low-income group families in the Kelaniya electorate.

This will be implemented under the instructions and guidance of the Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development, Dinesh Gunawardena.

Jayakody further said that these houses will be constructed under the 'Arunodaya' - concept of the Minister and will be implemented throughout the country. These houses will be built with the participation of the villagers in the respective areas, with proper planning and guidance. Building a house was a 'Day Dream' for the down-trodden people in this country. Due to this new concept this will be a reality.

Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha Member Nandasiri Hewage, Secretary, Rural Development Society, Galborella, Kelaniya Upadasa Kosgoda and Benet Ranawaka Perera also spoke.

Cash bonanza to build five new offices

K.A. Perera, Wadduwa Special corr.

The Public Administration Ministry has allocated funds to construct five offices for Divisional Secretariat offices in Kalutara district. The buildings will be constructed under the guidance of Kalutara district Government Agent S. Happuarachchi.

Rs. 4,000,000 have been allocated to the Divisional Secretariat office at Bulathsinhala and a similar amount to Millaniya Divisional Secretariat office. A two storied office would be constructed at Palindanuwara Divisional Secretariat office and the Ministry has Rs. 5,600,000 and Rs. 3,000,000 for Horana Divisional Secretariat office and Rs. 25,000,000 for a three storied office for Panadura Pradeshiya Secretariat office.

These facts were revealed by Kalutara Government Agent S. Happuarachchi at a conference held at Kalutara Secretariat.

Kalutara Secretarial Chief Engineer N.D.N. Kalansuriya said "the construction work of buildings would be completed under the supervision of the Government Agent of Kalutara.