Japanese aid for safe drinking water project

by Rohana JAYALAL

The Government of Japan has donated Rs.8.6 million towards a project for providing safe drinking water to the war affected and poverty stricken people in the Ampara district.

The project will be managed by the Child Rehabilitation Centre (CRC).

This project will see the completion of the safe drinking water system program, which had been suspended since 2002 due to a shortage of funds. The construction of a water storage tank had already been carried out by then by the village society.

The project will provide safe drinking water to 600 families and improve the living condition and hygiene of the conflict-affected people in Damana Divisional Secretariat in the Ampara district.The Japanese Government will provide the funds through its Grant Assistance for Grass roots Human Security Projects (GGP). GGP has been in Sri Lanka since 1989,and provides funding for development and humantarian projects.Currently the Govenment of Japan focuses its GGP on livelihood improvement support for the people of conflict-affected areas,and demining for early resettlement of internally displaced persons,and upflifting the lives of people in rural areas.

It is envisaged that these programs will contribute to enhanced peace and development in Sri Lanka.

The contract for the provision of assistance was signed recently by the Ambassador for Japan Kunio Takashi and chairman of the Child Rehabilitation Centre at the Embassy of Japan in Colombo.