Plans to expand, repair sewerage systems
By Suren Gnanaraj
Several foreign funded projects are set to commence early next year, to help expand the sewerage systems in the island amidst reports that financial constraints are forcing authorities to pump raw sewage into the sea without being treated.
Christie George, Assistant General Manager of the Water Supply and Drainage Board said that pumping raw sewage to the sea was an internationally accepted practice, which was followed by many countries including neighbouring India. "It is not done in an ad hoc manner, but according to scientific research. We observe the nature of the sea bed, in order to ensure that sewage is dumped in areas in which it cannot get washed back ashore,” he said. George said that at the moment broadening the sewerage network was slow due to the cost factor. “Half the population does not have clean water, so most of the money is allocated for such projects,” he said.
T.S Wijetunga, Chief Engineer of planning at the National Water Supply and Drainage Board said that financial constraints have not permitted them to consider setting up treatment plants, to treat raw sewage. Treatment plants are very costly, he said. “There are several areas like Sri Jayawardenapura, and Kotte that do not have sewerage systems, latrines and septic tanks which need immediate attention. Money must be allocated on a priority basis, so at the moment we cannot divert funds for such treatment plants,” he added.
The Danish International Donor Agency (DANIDA) has pledged a sum of $ 25 million to help rehabilitate the greater Colombo sewerage system and the main pumping station in Madampitiya.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) together with the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) has also agreed to fund an overall rehabilitation programme of all sewerage pumping stations in the greater Colombo area inclusive of setting up a new sewerage system for the Sri Jayawardenapura area. Wijetunga said that a project preparation technical assistance programme would be conducted in 2004, in view of the above proposal.
The Swedish government has also offered to fund new sewerage projects in Ja-Ela, Ekala, Moratuwa and Ratmalana to help broaden the sewerage network, which would benefit industrial zones as well as the residential community living in those areas. A sewerage system for the Kandy region is also in the pipeline, with JBIC offering the financial assistance to help fund the project, which would also involve setting up a pre-treatment plant to treat the raw sewage.
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