India-funded project facilitates 924 rainwater harvesting tanks for Jaffna

The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved the establishment of 924 rainwater harvesting tanks in Jaffna using the remaining funds from an ongoing project supported by the Government of India. 

The project aims to provide clean drinking water for people in the Jaffna district.

The original project, approved on 25 October 2016, involved the construction of 3,000 rainwater harvesting tanks, funded by the Government of India. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was part of a broader effort to address the clean water needs of the Jaffna district, with the project initially scheduled for completion within three years.

However, due to financial and technical challenges, the project timeline was extended. On 10 October 2022, the Cabinet approved an extension till June 2024, along with a change in the tank material from ferrocement to PVC. 

“This adjustment allowed for the installation of 1,831 PVC rainwater tanks. The latest approval will utilise the remaining funds to install an additional 924 rainwater harvesting tanks,” Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardena said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday. 

The proposal to this effect presented by the Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.