Rs.17,880 million project:
Pipe-borne water for Jaffna and Kilinochchi for first time
The Government is implementing a massive water supply and sanitation project
in Jaffna and Kilinochchi at a cost of Rs. 17,880 million (US $ 164.4 M.)
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide financial assistance
of approximately Rs. 10 billion (US $ 90 M) for the project. (The project is
implemented under the Uthuru Wasanthaya program to provide safe drinking
water to people in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts.
Accordingly US$ 92.55 million for water supply, US$ 35.64 million for
sewerage and sanitation facilities and US$ 10.63 million for the Iranamadu
reservoir improvement will be allocated. A sum of US$ 2.64 million for Jaffna
water resource management, US$ 5.58 million for capacity building, US$ 11.67
million for contingencies and US$ 5.33 million for financing charges during
implementation will be spent. While US $ 90 million will be funded by the Asian
Development Bank Agency for Francaise De Development and the Government
of Sri Lanka will fund US $ 48.00 million and US$ 34.04 million. The
Government is committed to look into the well-being of the resettled and
resettling people in the North. Now the Northern region is experiencing a surge
of returnees and economic activities in the region have increased.
Local bodies
There is one Municipal council, three Urban Councils and 13 Pradeshiya Sabas in
the Jaffna district and there are four Pradeshiya Sabas in Kilinochchi. The Jaffna
district comprises population of 650,720 and Kilinochchi 140,145 people.
The Government hopes to provide safe drinking water to 85 percent of the
population by 2015 and the rest before 2025. The Government also targets to
provide sanitation facilities for 87 percent of the population by 2015 and the rest
by 2025, according to National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB)
sources.
The National Water supply and Drainage Board operates 23 small water supply
schemes in Jaffna. The Jaffna Municipal Council operates the Jaffna municipal
water supply scheme. The coverage of pipe-borne water supply in Jaffna is about
3.2 percent of the population and less than 0.5 percent households have access to
pipe - borne water.
The project comprises construction of intake, transmission lines, distribution
system, intake pump, treatment plant, water tower, sumps, chemical house, filter
back washing system and process control units,
The sewerage and sanitation project consists of a treatment plant, pump house,
sea-outfall and network line. Head work improvement, rehabilitation of sluice
gate, raising bunt by 2 feet and provision of new technology to farmers
implemented under the Iranamadu project.
On the completion of the project over 60,000 connections will be provided in the
Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts and 300,000 people will benefit. Over 20,000
connections people in the Jaffna Municipal Council area and 80,000 people in the
area will benefit from the project.
Sanitation facilities to over 50,000 people in Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts will
be provided, NWSDB sources said. The Government has identified developing
the Northern and Eastern provinces and eliminating inter-regional inequalities as
key factors for long-term peace. Since the end of the conflict, substantial progress
has been made in addressing challenges and security concerns.
Welfare centres
The displaced people were accommodated in 32 welfare centres and by October
2010, less than 23,000 remained in the welfare camps. Those remaining in
welfare centres will be resettled shortly after the completion of the ongoing demining activities.
The Government has implemented mega infrastructure and livelihood
development projects in the North to restructure and rehabilitate the North and
East devastated by terrorism. The Jaffna Peninsula lagged in economic growth as
fish processing and key industries were destroyed.
Investments have been low, less maintenance of infrastructure facilities and key
industries, such as agriculture and fishing have been abandoned.
Poverty is the most pressing issue in Jaffna. The level of poverty in the Northern
Province is estimated to be 37%, compared to 15% in the rest of the country.
Provision of basic needs will complement Government efforts to promote
sustainable livelihoods, improve access to markets, and increase employment in
the Northern Province. The Jaffna peninsula depends primarily on groundwater.
The project is in line with the Government's 10-year development plan to
increase access to water and sanitation facilities.
It is also in consistent with the country partnership and strategy of the ADB
which aims to achieve socially inclusive development by expanding access to
clean water and other services and to assist poor households in establishing links
to water supply systems.
The project categorized as environmental category B and an Initial
Environmental Examination (IEE) with a detailed Environmental Management
Plan (EMP) was designed in accordance with ADB's Safeguards Policy
Statement (2009).
The protection of the fragile aquifer, improved next of hygiene and sanitary
facilities, waste water treatment and disposal, ecosystem are some of the benefits
of the project. Mitigation measures and monitoring plans have been proposed in
the EMP. The EMP will be implemented and monitored by the PMCIU. Project
engineering and institutional consultants will assist the PMCIU in ensuring the
implementation of the EMP.
The main objectives of the project are to improve water supply services in the
Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts, provide sanitation facilities for residents in the
Jaffna Municipal Council area and strengthen the water resources management
program in the Jaffna peninsula.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has agreed to
provide a loan of Rs. 2,180 million (US$ 20 million) for the downstream
development of the Iranamadu Tank.