Tangalle Water Project to be commissioned today

Sri Lanka: President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, will officially commission the Tangalle Water Supply Scheme today. The new Rs. 1.07 billion scheme will more than triple the access of safe drinking water supply for those in the area.

Constructed in 18 months, the Tangalle Water Supply Scheme is a collaboration of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for the provision of a sustainable supply of safe drinking water to tsunami affected families. The Tangalle project will see the supply of water swell from 2,500 cubic metres per day to 9000 cubic metres.

The project, funded by UNICEF, will play a critical role in safe guarding the health of the region's children, contributing to the reduction of the incidences of diarrhoea, hepatitis and other water related disease, while ensuring that local residents, especially women and children, don't spend hours each day fetching water.

'As the Minister responsible for the subject of water supply I am grateful to the United Nations Children's Fund for providing financial and technical assistance and to all other agencies who contributed to make this project a success in the expansion of drinking water supply facilities for a larger population in Tangalle and Beliatta, whom will now enjoy an uninterrupted supply of water,' Water Supply and Drainage, Minister A. L. M. Athaullah said.

'Water borne diseases are one of the most serious threats to child health in developing countries and affect mainly the poorest people,' said UNICEF's Representative in Sri Lanka, Philippe Duamelle. 'Today, through a tremendous collective effort between Government and UNICEF, we give hope and health to so many women and children.