President, Maithripala Sirisena and Kenichi Suganuma, Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka opened the water treatment plant constructed at Maha Oya under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assisted Eastern Province Water Supply Development Project last week.
Minister of City Planning and Water Supply, Rauff Hakeem, Minister of Primary Industries, Daya Gamage, Chief Minister – Eastern Province, Z.A. Nazeer Ahamed, State Minister of City planning and Water Supply, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Deputy Minister of Petroleum Resources Development, Dr. Anoma Gamage, Members of the Parliament in the area, Chief Representative of JICA, Kiyoshi Amada and senior officials of the line Ministry and NWSDB were also present.
JICA extended a concessionary loan of Yen 4,850 million (approximately Rs. 6,300 million) for the water supply project.
The project includes implementation of two components namely Rural Water Supply component in all three districts Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa benefiting around 50,000 people and Ampara District Urban Water Supply Component benefitting around 210,000 people in the Ampara District.
The JICA-funded project was also instrumental in expansions of benefits to the people by completing and connecting the balance parts of the partially constructed components of the previous water supply projects due to fund limitations.
Beneficiaries under this project used wells for their water needs before the project. Most of those wells contain high fluoride and phosphate.
As a result of JICA-assisted project, now people are receiving safe drinking water.
Mohammad who lives in Samanthurai and Siripala who lives in Deegawapiya said that their quality of life has been improved with the safe drinking water. They appreciated JICA assistance for the project. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is the executing agency of Japan’s Bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA). JICA, the world biggest bilateral aid agency, works in over 150 countries and regions.
In accordance with its vision of ‘Inclusive and Dynamic Development’, JICA supports the resolution of development issues in developing countries.
Japan has been providing financial and technical assistance to Sri Lanka since 1954 and is one of the biggest donor to the country.
On behalf of the people and the Government of Japan, JICA contributes to improve life of people in Sri Lanka.