Seminars and awareness programmes to mark WWD

Irrigation Department of Sri Lanka
Colombo, Sri Lanka, 24 Mar 08

Seminars and awreness programs on "Water and Sanitation"

Arrangements have been made to conduct seminars and awareness programs all over the country on Monday 24th March by the Irrigation Department in collaboration with Ministry of Irrigation & Water Management and National Committee of Irrigation & Drainage.

The main event in Colombo will be a half day seminar with participation of Hon Minister for Irrigation and Water Management Mr Chamal Rajapakse, Hon Minister for Irrigation Jayatissa Ranaweera and Secretary to the Ministry of I & WM , Eng Vidya Jothi A D S Gunawardane. The topics of the presentations will be: Monitoring of ground water quality in Weli Oya Irrigation Project, Treatment of portable water in dry zone, Water related diseases in rural areas and preventive actions, Role of Irrigation Engineer in Sri Lanka in Water and Sanitation sector, Monitoring of water quality in Batugedara irrigation scheme, Water & Sanitation- Canvassing people for participation, Catchment characteristics influencing water quality in a reservoir.

Irrigation Department being the organization responsible for planning, designing, construction and management of water resources projects in the country has implemented numerous gravity, flood control, drainage, salt water exclusion and lift irrigation schemes all over the country since it’s inception in 1900.

Inhabitants in the Dry zone (that covers three fourth of the country) depend mostly on irrigation reservoirs for their domestic water supply too. Sanitation, even though is not directly handled by, the irrigation officials are responsible in ensuring the quality of water in the irrigation reservoirs. There will be nearly 15 awareness seminars conducted by the officers of Irrigation Department, addressing school children all over the country to mark the WWD.

Contact: Badra Kamaladasa <bkamaladasa@gmail.com>