Prime Minister opens Water Project at Kalu Ganga

Saturday, 7 January 2017 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday ceremonially opened the Water Treatment Plant at Kadana, Horana constructed under Kalu Ganga Water Supply Project Phase 1 Stage II in the presence of Koji Yagi on behalf of the Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka.

Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem, State Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Wayaba Development and Cultural Affairs Palitha Kumara Thewarapperuma, Deputy Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Ajith P. Perera, Members of Parliament in the area, Chief Representative of JICA Kiyoshi Amada, and senior officials of the line Ministry and NWSDB graced the occasion.

JICA provided concessionary yen loan of 8,388 million (approximately Rs. 10,000 million) for implementation of Kalu Ganga Water Supply Project Phase I Stage II. The project includes the construction of a water treatment plant at Kandana, Horana having a capacity of 60,000 m3/day, laying of large diameter water transmission pipe lines, construction of water towers at Kesbewa, Jamburaliya, Kumbuka, and Welmilla.

The laying of pipelines for distribution systems in Kesbewa east/west, Jamburaliya, Piliyandala, Miriswatta, Koralaima, Gonapola, and Kumbuka areas. Rehabilitation of 51 km of distribution system in the southern part of the Colombo 1 area, namely Pettah, Hultsdorf and parts of Kotahena and Maradana, and transmission and distribution improvement in Panadura and Kiriberiya. Around 300,000 of people living in the above areas will benefit from the project.

Greater Colombo water supply system depended on a few water sources in the past and JICA extended support for development of Kalu Ganga as an alternative water source. JICA completed its Stage I project in 2006, having a capacity 60,000 m3/d water treatment plant. With the opening of a new water treatment plant, the water treatment capacity will be increased up to 120,000m3/d.

JICA is also discussing with the GOSL the possibility of extending assistance for Kalu Ganga Water Supply Expansion Project that further expands Kalu Ganga by constructing another water treatment plant with a capacity of 140,000m3/d for catering to the increasing water demands in the southern part of Greater Colombo and parts of Kalutara Districts.

Pix by Ashraff A. Samad