CTC and Ministry of Economic Development to construct 100 agro-wells

Wednesday, 8 October 2014 00:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

To combat the severe drought which prevails in the Welioya region, Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) together with the Ministry of Economic Development embarked on a project to construct 100 agro-wells in Welioya. Each well serves four families, resulting in over 400 families benefiting from the project and is being conducted together with the Welioya District Secretary. Costing Rs. 300,000 each, the agro-wells can supply sufficient water to approximately 400 acres of land during the seasons of Yala, Maha and Meda providing economic benefit to the residents throughout the year.

“The residents of Welioya suffer largely due to inconsistent and insufficient water supply, which affects both their health and livelihood. The construction of the agro-wells is a significant step in rural development. As a company that strongly believes in empowerment, this initiative is perfectly in line with our efforts to minimise the poverty levels of Sri Lankans,” said CTC Managing Director and CEO, Felicio Ferraz. The agro-wells will provide necessary water required for agriculture to the residents in the area. As such, they will be in a better position to manage their lives, enabling them to produce crops throughout the year and not depend on the currently prevalent unpredictable weather. Sustainability and social responsibility plays a pivotal role at CTC, with the company undertaking and completing many projects in the recent past in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Most recently, CTC constructed two ‘A’ Grade Police Stations in Kilinochchi and Mankulam and built 72 houses in Jaffna and 50 houses in Thirikovil for the Tsunami victims. Through the flagship CSR project SADP, CTC supported 1,000 families in Kilinochchi, 1,700 families in Trincomalee and also helped rehabilitate 1,449 ex-combatants by providing vocational training in agriculture. CTC has committed a total investment of Rs. 30 m for the agro-well project.