Water purifying project launched by lake-side hotel

A water cleansing machine costing Rs. 50 lakhs has been installed in the Lakeside Adventist Hospital located near the Kandy Lake. The project was declared open by Kandy Mayor L.B. Aluvihare recently.

It was financed by the Japanese government under an environment conservation project through the DFCC Bank under its “E Friends”, a low interest scheme programme. The cleansing project will purify waste water from the hospital’s kitchen and toilet complex, bathrooms and laundry. According to the firm in charge of the cleansing project, it would be done in keeping with standard norms governing environmental rules.

The Mayor speaking at the opening ceremony said that all establishments in and around the Kandy Lake should cooperate in the task of keeping the lake clean. He praised the lake-side hotel for taking the initiative in installing the new cleansing project.

Percy Dias, executive director of the hospital said that it was a compliment to the hospital since the project bore the name of the Lake.DFCC Bank Manager S. Godakanda said the new loan scheme was financed by aid from the Japanese government. It grants low interest loans to any establishment concerned with work against environmental pollution. Loans up to Rs. 50 million could be granted on a low interest of 2.5%. He added that an environment compliance certificate would be issued by the Council to all existing projects and those that would be undertaken in the future.

Puritas Company Director Y. Weerasuriya said the tank supplied by the project could last for over 50 years. The cleansing project could handle a capacity of 40,000 litres per day at a cost of less than Rs. 500 per day.