Germany gives Rs 2.9 m for drought relief work in Mutur

The German Embassy in Colombo gave Rs. 2.9 million as humanitarian assistance to drought affected families in Mutur in Eastern Sri Lanka.

The project is implemented by the Coordinating Centre for Community Development (3CD), a community based organisation that has undertaken safe drinking-water projects to serve displaced communities since 2007.

The current project focuses on constructing water tanks in schools and villages in Mutur where the wells have either dried up or become saline due to the severe drought during the past six months.

According to General Secretary of the Coordinating Centre for Community Development A.W.M. Buhari, it is a sustainable project that will help the communities to have a secure supply of water. “About 80 percent of the people living in Mutur don’t have a well in their garden and therefore, they have to travel several miles to get water from a public well,” Buhari said. “But the water quality is questionable. As per the report from the Mutur Medical Officer for Health Systems (MOH) 75 per cent of the water sources contain more than the average e coli bacteria and high level of nitrite, phosphate and other chemicals.”

The project provides funds for power-generators, so that three water purification plants in the area can operate round the clock without being stalled by intermittent power cuts.

German Ambassador to Sri Lanka Dr. Juergen Morhard said that the German government was happy to be able to react immediately to provide relief to the people, who have been affected by the drought. “The severe drought has also destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of people, had an impact on food security and affected the overall economic growth forecast of this island,” Dr. Morhard said. “Germany as a long-standing friend of this country is pleased to be able to assist Sri Lankans in this time of need.”