UNICEF restores Water Supply in Delft Island, JaffnaA 43 year old water supply scheme in the island of Delft in Jaffna was upgraded by UNICEF at the cost of almost 13 Million Rupees and reopened by Minister Douglas Devananda, and Hon. G.A. Chandrasiri, Governor Northern Province, this week. The scheme, which was originally built in 1969, was in a dilapidated state and unable to provide a consistent water supply for the islands 4530 inhabitants.
Mr. Sivapragasam a 56 year old engineer attached to the Assistant Commissioner of Local Government (ACLG) office said that the main pipeline was in a state of ruin and repair work was challenging due to the non-availability of spare parts for the old water scheme. ‘During such times we were unable to provide water supply for over two weeks’ he said. As a government servant for more than 13 years in the area, Mr. Sivapragasam said that ‘It was really satisfying to be able to complete this important work to help the people of Delft’. One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Rasanthi, said ‘‘I am really happy, as I will be able to get water closer to my home’. The 36 year old mother of three says “In the early days my husband had to travel nearly 4 km on a daily basis to fetch water for our family needs’. With her husband away at work during the day Mrs Rasanthi said she found it difficult to make the 4 km walk to get her water supply.
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