President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today launched the second phase of the Anuradhapura North Water Supply Project, which will provide safe drinking water to approximately 67,000 families in the Anuradhapura District.
The Rs. 51 billion project, funded by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will benefit households in the Padaviya, Kebithigollewa, Horowpothana and Kahatagasdigiliya Divisional Secretariat areas, where Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) remains prevalent.
Addressing the event, the President said access to clean drinking water is a fundamental responsibility of the Government, noting that the project aims to improve public health while addressing a key factor linked to the spread of CKD in the region.
He also announced that work on the long-delayed Lower Malwathu Oya Project will begin next year, while steps are being taken to expedite the North Central Main Canal Project and extend water supplies to the Mahakanadarawa Reservoir.
The President said the Government has doubled the fertiliser subsidy to Rs. 30,000, allocated record funding for paddy procurement and resumed major irrigation projects to improve the livelihoods of farmers.
Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe described the initiative as Sri Lanka’s second-largest water supply project, while Housing, Construction and Water Supply Minister Dr. Susil Ranasinghe said several more major water supply projects will be commissioned across the country in the coming months.
Japan’s Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Kamoshida Naoaki said the project symbolises Japan’s continued support for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, while JICA reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the timely completion of the project. (Newswire)