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President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced the immediate launch of the “Jaffna River” project, which aims to comprehensively address water shortages in the northern region of Sri Lanka.
The President made the remarks while attending the inauguration of the Talayadi Desalination Plant, part of the Jaffna-Kilinochi Water Supply Project, this morning (02).
President Ranil Wickremesinghe further stated that it has been 15 years since the end of the civil war in the North and he stressed the need for everyone to continue to work together for development and expressed the goal of transforming the North into a developed province in the next 5 to 10 years.
The Talayadi desalination plant is part of the Jaffna-Kilinochi Water Supply Project, managed by the National Water Supply and Sewerage Board under the Ministry of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development, with financial support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Sri Lankan government.
To address the drinking water needs of Jaffna and Kilinochchi, the Sri Lankan government launched the Jaffna-Kilinochi District Water Supply and Sanitation Project (JKWSSP) in 2011 with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the French Development Bank (AFD).
Currently, there are 2.5 million water connections in the country, and the water supply and sanitation project aims to add 60,000 new connections.
The main objective of the project is to provide safe drinking water to 300,000 people and improve sanitation facilities to 80,000 people in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.
The Asian Development Bank signed a contract to build the desalination plant in 2017. So far, the project has completed the construction of 20 high-level water tanks, 186 kilometers of water transmission pipelines and 382 kilometers of water distribution pipelines.
The desalination plant contract was awarded in January 2021 with a total project cost of US$266 million and the Jaffna-Kilinochi District Water Supply and Sanitation Project is expected to be completed by mid-2025.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe further commented:
The water purification plant will be the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. I would like to express my gratitude to the local residents who provided the land for the construction of the plant. There has been a request to establish a separate Grama Niladhari sub-division for the village and I will recommend this request to the Governor.
The establishment of this water purification plant will greatly solve the drinking water problem in Jaffna. We also plan to start construction of the Paliyaru reservoir in the future to supply water to the Punilin area.
I have also decided to launch the Jaffna River project. Once this purification plant and the project are fully operational, Jaffna’s water problem will be solved. This will help the Vadamarachi area return to its former lush state.
To control the cost of drinking water, we plan to reduce expenses through solar energy projects. In addition, we will introduce a drip irrigation system to promote modern agriculture in the area. When we invest in water resources, it is important to maximize the benefits of using water resources. These initiatives are aimed at further strengthening the local economy.
We are also planning to renovate Kanksanthurai Port in collaboration with India. An investment zone will be set up at the site of the former cement factory. Moreover, the development of Palari will increase tourism opportunities. The region has huge potential for wind and solar energy production, which can generate significant revenue. Therefore, Jaffna is expected to become a developed region in the next 5-10 years.
The government has not focused on establishing a university in Jaffna because the provincial council has the capacity to establish two or three universities there. It has been about 20 years since the war ended and it is time for us to unite and work towards development.
I sincerely thank the Asian Development Bank for its support in building this water purification plant. They continued to provide assistance even when we were in the financial crisis. We have now signed agreements with the official creditor committee and the Export-Import Bank of China, and we have also reached an agreement with the bondholders. With these agreements, we have the support of these countries. Japan has pledged to resume projects that we had previously stopped, and development work in other countries is also progressing.
Moreover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I have taken necessary steps to implement the agreements we have reached and are currently signing them. We are working with Amul to increase liquid milk production. We should focus on increasing the revenue of the state and continue with this plan. This will help improve the economy and transform Jaffna into a major economic hub.
I would like to thank Jeevan Thondaman for his special attention and efforts in this initiative. We are working with the Ministry of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development to establish new villages in the hilly areas. These plantation communities are being relocated and developed into villages.
Jeevan Thondaman, Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development;
Access to drinking water is a fundamental right and the government is committed to ensuring that all citizens have access to drinking water. When this project began, the high cost was a major challenge but we took it on to meet the drinking water needs of the people. When the President took office, only 5% of the drinking water needs of the Northern Province were met. From today, this will increase to 40%. While some villages were initially reluctant to provide land for this project, I would like to thank the people of Thalaiyady village for their willingness to do so.
Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda;
The Tamil people have various demands: for development, for rights and for drinking water. The President is addressing these demands. Today, efforts are being made to ensure that the people of the north have access to drinking water. I encourage the people of the province to continue the dialogue with the President to ensure their rights.
Ms. Charles, Governor of Northern Province,
This major project in the Northern Province was established and realized through the efforts of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The project, which was launched in 2015 to restructure and obtain additional financing during his tenure as Prime Minister, made further progress with the signing of an additional financing agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2017. The agreement facilitated the implementation of the desalination plant, including its construction and operation for five years, and covered the cost overruns of the project.
Thanks to your efforts, 300,000 people in Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts now have access to safe drinking water after suffering for so long. In addition, 80,000 people in Jaffna city have improved their sanitation and the agricultural sector in the Northern Province has also benefited. Thank you again for your dedication and hard work.
The event was also attended by State Ministers Dr. Suren Raghavan, K. Kader Masthan, MPs Dharmalingam Sithadthan and Angajan Ramanathan, Senior National Security Advisor and Chief of Staff to the President Sagala Ratnayaka, former Minister Ravi Karunanayake, former State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran and several guests.
(Presidential Media Department)
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