Korea Eximbank provides US $ 79m for water supply projects

The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) signed a US $ 79 million Economic Development and Cooperation Fund (EDCF) loan agreement with the Ministry of Finance and Planning to set up water supply systems in Deduru Oya and Ruwanwella.

EDCF has been helping in the water supply and sanitation sector since 2000 with the greater Galle and Ruhunupura water supply projects. Unsafe drinking water is assumed to be one of the main causes of chronic kidney diseases in the Kurunegala and Kegalle districts.

In Kegalle, the main sources of drinking water are wells, and hence people suffer from water shortage during the dry period.

The existing water supply systems meet only about 22% of drinking water demand in Ruwanwella.

While Sri Lankans who have access to safe drinking water reached above 80%, people from Kurunegala and Kegalle districts suffer from poor water and sanitation systems. In fact, the Kurunegala district has the least piped water coverage, only about 8.3%, which is far below the national average coverage at 43.5%.

Given the circumstances, Deduru Oya and Ruwanwella water supply projects have been assigned high priority by the Government. The two projects will provide safe drinking water to residents through a piped water supply system, thereby decreasing the incidence of water-borne diseases, improving living conditions and promoting economic prosperity.

EDCF will support the construction of water-intake facilities, purification plants, storage reservoirs, transmission lines and distribution networks.