Pipe borne water for Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE in Trincomalee

The Government has commenced work to provide pipe borne water to Mullaitivu and Kilinochchci areas from the Iranamadu Tank.

Plans are also under way to lay a 43 kilometre pipeline from the Iranamadu Tank to Jaffna to provide pipe borne water to the peninsula. "We hope these two projects would be ready by early next year," said Project Director, Re-Awakening Project, Community Livelihoods in Conflict Areas, Ministry of Nation Building and Infrastructure Development, P.H. Sugathadasa.He said that when the Government starts resettling the Internally Displayed Persons (IDPs) in the camps a priority would be drinking water. "This is why this project is a priority and when the resettlement commences drinking water will be available for them," he said.He also said that drinking water to Jaffna is being provided in a disorganised way. "Some people have their own wells while others have alternative sources," he said.There are high-rise buildings, hotels, office complexes and apartments planned and the present water supply would not be adequate. "This is why we are planning to provide water on a mass scale to Jaffna from the Iranamadu tank," he said. A sum of Rs. One billion was allocated to develop the Iranamadu Tank last year with the funding also coming from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

However due to the war this money was allocated to other development projects and only Rs. 200 million is now left," he said."However government has been able to obtain a further Rs. two billion from the ADB for this project," he added.