President opens Rs. 32 Billion Thambuttegama Water Project

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today (July 10) commissioned the Rs. 32 billion Thambuttegama Water Supply Project, which will provide safe drinking water to 91,810 people in Thambuttegama, Thalawa and Galnewa.

The project aims to provide 25,000 new household water connections across the three Divisional Secretariat divisions.

It was launched with a concessional loan from the China Development Bank (CDB), but work was suspended from May 2022 to May 2024 due to Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring process.

Recognising the national importance of the project, the current Government provided additional funding from the national budget to complete the remaining work.

The project was developed as a long-term solution to the rapid spread of chronic kidney disease in the region. It is also expected to improve the social and economic well-being of local communities.

The project includes a water treatment plant capable of producing 18,000 cubic metres of water per day, three water towers with a capacity of 1,500 cubic metres each, a 12.75-kilometre water transmission pipeline and a 158-kilometre water distribution network.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply Susil Ranasinghe said the project could supply safe drinking water to 25,000 families.

He said construction had come to a standstill due to the economic crisis, despite the project being implemented with the support of the China Development Bank. However, funds allocated through the national budget over the past two years had enabled the Government to complete it.

The Minister said farmers had initially opposed the proposal to draw water from the Rajanganaya Reservoir. However, the project was now being commissioned with the support and blessings of Rajanganaya farmer leaders after their concerns were presented to the Government.

He assured farmers that water needed for agriculture would not be reduced to supply drinking water under the project.

“Not even a single drop of water required for agriculture will be denied in order to supply drinking water,” the Minister said, noting that the project was intended to provide clean water to farming families themselves.

Farmers had also requested compensation if cultivation was affected by any water-related issue.

The Minister said the Government was prepared to compensate farmers for any future losses or damage to their lands. He noted that the Government had paid Rs. 1.2 billion in compensation for losses suffered by farmers during the past seven cultivation seasons due to the Nilwala saltwater barrier.

The Government had also resolved long-standing land acquisition issues linked to the Yan Oya Project and allocated Rs. 180 million to the District Secretary to compensate affected landowners.

In addition, Rs. 12 billion had been paid to around 200,000 farmers whose farmlands were damaged by Cyclone Ditwah, he said.

Another request from farmers was to construct the Ginipetti Bridge if water was drawn for the project.

The Minister said Rs. 240 million had already been allocated to build a new bridge suitable for vehicular traffic, with foundation work expected to begin shortly.

A team of experts has also been appointed to decide whether the existing Ginipetti Bridge can be repaired or whether an entirely new bridge should be constructed.

The Minister assured the farming community that the Government would not allow them to face any hardship or financial loss because of the water project.

Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, North Central Province Governor Wasantha Jinadasa, provincial public representatives, Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong, officials from the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, and a large number of local residents attended the event.