The National Water Supply and Drainage Board has confirmed that the newly constructed Kilinochchi water tower and the rehabilitated water supply scheme funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and built at a cost of 925, 000,000 Yen (approximately Rs. 1.2 billion) will be opened in January. The new water tower will replace the previous Kilinochchi water tower which was destroyed by the LTTE in 2008 before fleeing the city following the advance of the Army.
According to Project Director and Chief Engineer of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board in Kilinochchi, Elsie Jesuthason, stage one of the project is now complete and is ready to serve families living along the A9 road for a stretch of 10 Km from Iranamadu to Prananathan. ¨6000 families will benefit from stage one¨ she said adding that stage two of the project which will benefit those living in rural areas of Kilinochchi will be completed by 2018.
¨We will be able to provide 1500 connections by 2017,¨ she said. The new rehabilitated system is expected to service 21,000 people by 2020 by supplying safe and clean water to people in the area. Additionally a new tower has also been built in Paranthan in order to better serve the population.
The project saw the rehabilitation of water intake and purification facilities, along with installation of necessary equipment that had been destroyed during the war.