The Cabinet of Ministers has approved moving ahead with procurement for five sub-projects under the Climate-Resilient Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Project, a $250 million infrastructure initiative aimed at strengthening water security and sanitation services across the country.
Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told the post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday that $200 million of the total cost will be financed through the Asian Development Bank’s ordinary capital resources. The proposal was submitted by Housing, Construction and Water Supply Minister Anura Karunathilake.
The five components cleared for procurement include upgrading the Ambatale Water Treatment System, improvements to the Jubilee Water Supply System, a non-revenue water management initiative in Kolonnawa, development of the Lunugamvehera Integrated Water Supply Scheme — with a treatment capacity of 20,000 cubic metres a day — and the Jaffna wastewater management project.
The package is designed to improve access to reliable and sustainable water supply and sanitation services, build resilience against climate impacts, and reduce non-revenue water losses in parts of the Western Province. Ambatale, the country’s largest water treatment plant, supplies a major share of greater Colombo’s drinking water; the Jaffna wastewater scheme is the first major sewerage investment for the northern city.
The new package follows the ADB’s April Special Update, which trimmed Sri Lanka’s growth forecast to 4.7% and flagged climate adaptation and urban service delivery as priority areas for the medium-term recovery agenda.
Source: Daily FT.
