Not suitable for drinking

Hot weather and dropping water levels have also meant salinated water in taps for most people in the South:

by Husna Inayathullah and Kulasiri Amarasinghe

The drought has wreaked havoc with peoples lives. In areas where there is a short supply of drinking water, residents have to trek miles just to get a bucketful of drinking water as the water flowing through the taps were mixed with saline and could not be consumed. This is the complaint of many residents in Kalutara, Galle and Matara. The authorities, residents say have turned a blind eye to their plight, although this is an annual occurrence. They have to find other sources from where they could get some water, especially for consumption. The Sunday Observer spoke to a cross section of residents and the authorities to get an insight into this issue.

The use of salt-mixed water has affected communities in Pinwatte, Wadduwa, Kalutara, Beruwala, Aluthgama, Induruwa, Elpitiya and Benthara.

“As a remedial measure, the placement of sandbags at river entry point to the sea to thwart the inflow of sea water at a considerable cost has been without success. Sand mining mainly in the river bed is responsible for the inflow of sea water,” an environmentalist said.

“Adding insult to injury, the river water is further contaminated due to waste from residences and commercial establishments being released to the river. If the present difficulties continue, in another five years the people in Kalutara will face a huge problem regarding water consumption,” he said. “Many people have put up illegal structures along embankments, damaging its natural growth.This too was another reason for sea water seepage,” he said.

Phlegm complications

Nalaka Bandara from Kalutara who is badly affected by this situation said, “People in and around Kalutara have since 2014 been compelled to consume salinated water between January and April each year. People who use salinated water for drinking experience skin disorders and children suffer throat infection and phlegm complications. The authorities have failed to resolve this problem and only provided remedial measures. This time at least we hope a permanent solution will be provided by them .”

“Immediate measures have been taken to solve the drinking water issue of the Kalutara district. The supply of water to several areas in the Kalutara District was disrupted due to the absence of rain and long- term and short-term plans have already been proposed by the authorities,’ a spokesman for the National Water Supply and Drainage Board(NWSDB) said.

The decision to implement these recommendations immediately was taken at a meeting held recently under the patronage of the Kalutara District Secretary U.D.C.Jayalal with officials and divisional secretaries. Measures will be taken to increase the number of water tanks from 140 to 240 in Wadduwa, Waskaduwa, Kalutara Beruwala, Alutgama and Dharga Town to provide water free of charge to bowsers from the Morontuduwa water supply centre.

“Measures will also be taken to set up a temporary dam, to prevent the inclusion of sea water in the Remunagoda area. Measures will be taken to distribute river water, after purification from the Kethhena Water Treatment Plant. As a long- term solution to the drinking water issue of the area, a decision has been taken to build a permanent barrier to prevent inclusion of sea water at a cost of Rs. 2000 million,” he said.

The Chairman of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, Alahudeen Ansar said, “At present we are doing a study to bring about a permanent solution to this problem. We have started a project titled ‘Aluthgama, Mathugama and Agalawatta intergrated Water Supply Project.’

Remedy

It might about take three years to be completed successfully which will be a remedy for a population of 573,000 who are affected by saline water. We are starting on this project in collaboration with the EXIM Bank of India. The contractor is Ion Exchange India (Pvt) Ltd and the project costs Rs. 3700 million and funded by the EXIM Bank of India. The contract agreement was signed on the March 8, 2016.”

He said the project covers Aluthgama, Mathugama, Agalawatta, Neboda, Beruwela, Dodangoda, Wadduwa, Waskaduwa, Kalutara, Maggona and Payagala. Ansar said that the main component of the project are construction of the Kuda Ganga intake (74,250m3/day), construction of 13,5000m3/day capacity treatment plant at Kethhena, renovation of the Kethhena Water Treatment Plant and Intake, Supply and laying of transmission (55km) and distribution system (260km) in areas such as Dharga town, Kalutara South, Aluthgama, Mathugama, Agalawatta, Neboda, Beruwela, Dodangoda, Wadduwa, Waskaduwa and Maggona, construction of towers, ground reservoirs, pump house and quarters and supply and installation of pumps.

The Ruhuna University was closed owing to increased salination of drinking water around the premises.

Due to the absence of rain and increased high-tide, the salinity of water was high. Academic activities at the Ruhuna University were temporarily suspended due to the prevailing water crisis.

Salination

Professor Gamini Senanayake, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ruhunu said the main campus was affected due to salination but the Agriculture, Medical and Engineering faculties which are outside the main campus functioned as usual. “Lectures were suspended due to thewater shortage in hostels and due to salination which is a common problem that we face during the drought every year. We have not yet received a permanent solution for this problem.”

“The NWSDB has put up salt barriers to avoid the inclusion of sea water to rivers during the drought season but the problem has not eased. The undergraduate Degree programs are only suspended for a while, until the prevailing conditions become normal.

The offices, departments and library is functioning as usual and students come to make use of these facilities. We tried to supply water through bowsers but it is impossible as 108 bowsers are needed to supply water for a day to 8000 students. We cannot predict the quality of that water as well. Now as the rain has begun, I plan to begin lectures as soon as possible, when condition becomes normal,” Senanayake said.

Fathima, a resident from Beruwala said her family experienced the salination which had affected the water supply. She said, “We were unable to cook, drink and bathe due to the increase of salt in water. A water bowser came only on one day and provided us with water and even that was not enough. The problem prevailed for about three weeks and now its normal as the rains have begun.

A solution is needed as we suffer with this problem every year, during the drought season. Our children fall ill and are invariably affected with skin rash.”