Sampath Bank commences restoration of 10th Tank under ‘Wewata Jeewayak’ Programme

Sampath Bank recently embarked on the restoration of the Athawetuna Wewa in Divulwewa, Anamaduwa under its flagship community outreach initiative, Wewata Jeewayak. This is the 10^th tank (wewa) in the country to be restored under this programme, the bank said in a media release.

The 20-acre Athawetuna Wewa is the primary source of irrigation for over 60 acres of paddy fields. It also plays a key role in animal husbandry and other livelihood development activities in the Divulwewa and neighbouring villages, serving over 500 people.

With no major maintenance work having been carried out for over 20 years, the Athawetuna Wewa’s bund has suffered considerable damage. Its waters have become shallow due to the accumulation of sludge. Its irrigation canal, sluice gates and spill too are in need of repairs. The current dilapidated state of the tank has limited paddy cultivation in the area to one season alone, thereby affecting the livelihoods of the entire community, the release said.

Sampath Bank will be working together with the Perakum Farmers Association (Perakum Govi Sanvidanaya); the Department of Agrarian Development, Puttalam District Office, Chilaw; and members of the local community to renovate the tank completely. Rituals were conducted to invoke blessings on the project and the community before members of the Farmers Association commenced work on it.

“As a bank that takes great pride in our Sri Lankan roots, we seek to play an active role in restoring these invaluable treasures and have been working on restoring them through our ‘Wewata Jeewayak’ initiative. We have had the opportunity to transform the lives of thousands of families around the island through the programme,” said Nanda Fernando, Managing Director, Sampath Bank PLC.

Commending Sampath Bank for its outreach efforts, R. P. D. K. Jayarathna, President, Perakum Govi Sanvidanaya, Athawetuna Wewa, said, “The Athawetuna Wewa has been the lifeblood of our community, supporting agriculture, dairy farming and other economic activity. Its deterioration due to years of neglect has affected our ability to grow crops all through the year and hence had an adverse impact on our livelihoods. We are delighted to see responsible organisations like Sampath Bank come forward to empower rural communities. Their work on restoring our tank will go a long way in helping us rebuild our lives. I would like to thank the bank on behalf of all of us in Divulwewa for this meritorious act of benevolence.”