French Government boosts development in Trincomalee

Ambassador of France Christine Robichon yesterday, at the invitation of the Sri Lankan Government, participated in the official launching of the rehabilitation and upgrade of Kantale Water Treatment Plant under the Greater Trincomalee Integrated Water Supply Project financed by the Republic of France.

The existing infrastructure for the supply of drinking water to Trincomalee was carried out by a consortium of French companies in early 1980s. The present project will include the rehabilitation of this existing infrastructure and the construction of new facilities which contain 12 million of gallons supply capacity and will permit to supply water for 300 000 inhabitants.

Assistance for this project is provided by France through two channels, Euros 12.5 million by the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry and Euros 10.35 million by the French Development Agency.

It will complement the Trincomalee Integrated Infrastructure Programme financed by the French Development Agency through a very concessional loan of Euros 69 millions.  This programme focuses on the construction and rehabilitation of public infrastructures in the District of Trincomalee, such as roads (the A15 Road between Trincomalee and Thirukkodiyamadu, the B10 Road between Kantale and the seashore and the C-Class coastal road), bridges (five bridges on the A15), the networks for water supply and distribution of electricity, and community development infrastructures (schools, libraries, medical centres, etc.

French companies have world-renowned expertise in the water sector. Among the two French companies involved in this project, “Société du Canal de Provence” (SCP) has a long established presence in Sri Lanka running back to several decades and VINCI Construction Grands Projects, which was selected through tendering, is one of the leading building and civil engineering companies in the world.

In Sri Lanka, France has a long history of partnership with the Water Board. France will co-finance (US$ 45 million) together with the Government of Sri Lanka and the Asian Development Bank, the Jaffna and Kilinochchi Water Supply and Sanitation Project. Access to safe water is a fundamental human right as water is essential for living.

France is playing an active role to broaden the effective implementation of this right all over the world and is particularly happy to contribute to provide good quality water to the people of Trincomalee District.