Sri Lanka to set up wastewater management systems in all key cities
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has reportedly stated that wastewater management systems currently limited to a few areas would be constructed in all key cities in the country in the future.
“Currently we have water management systems only in Municipal Council areas such as Colombo, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Moratuwa, and in cities like Ja-Ela, Ekala and Kurunegala. We have planned to build water management systems in every major city in the country, which is now limited to only a few areas,” the Prime Minister has been quoted as saying at the inauguration of the ‘Kandy City Wastewater Management Project.’
Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka Mizukoshi Hideaki had also participated in a ceremony held online between Temple Trees and the newly constructed Gannoruwa Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kandy.
The Prime Minister said that it was a great achievement for the country to be able to create a ‘National Sanitation Plan’ to safeguard the future of the country.
Sri Lanka’s Minister of Water Supply and Drainage Vasudeva Nanayakkara has reportedly presented to the Prime Minister the National Plan for Sanitation up to 2030, which will work to conserve groundwater, protect the catchment areas and maintain the quality of water flow through sensitive areas.
Local media reports have stated that during the ceremony held at the Gannoruwa Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kandy, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) handed over vehicles, machinery and equipment of the Kandy Urban Waste Management Project to the National Water Supply and Drainage Board and the Kandy Municipal Council.
Japan has been supporting the water sector in the Kandy region since 2001 by building water supply facilities, including a water purification plant, and improving the drinking water coverage rate, according to the Japanese Embassy.
According to reports, the construction of the sewage treatment plant and the sanitation facilities have been completed through a loan of approximately 14 billion yen and the construction of door-to-door connections to each household is now underway, which is expected to improve the living and sanitation environment through sewage treatment.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s ongoing development programme covers all key economic sectors in the country and is aimed at taking Sri Lanka to the next level of development. Sri Lanka is also working towards becoming a business hub in the South Asian region. The country’s economy has shown great resilience to external and internal challenges through the years and is once again on the path to recovery after facing the pandemic impact. Many economic sectors in the country have also shown a steady growth momentum amidst the Covid pandemic. Foreign businesses/investors could explore the growing opportunities in Sri Lanka’s development programme.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/02122021/Z_1 |