India hands over rain water harvesting project to Sri Lanka

The High Commission of India ceremonially handed over a project on Artificial Recharge of Ground Water Resources to the Government of Sri Lanka at the Export Processing Zone in Katunayake yesterday.

The project is aimed at popularizing rain water harvesting for direct use or recharging underground aquifers.
Indian High Commission officials including the Commercial Counsellor along with the officials of Sri Lanka's Water Resources Board and Director of Board of Investment attended the ceremony held Tuesday at Katunayake.

Government of India has initiated the project following discussions during the 14th SAARC Summit on water security within the region.

The project, funded by India at a cost of 11.2 million Sri Lankan rupees, was implemented by the Sri Lanka's Water Resources Board with the active cooperation of experts from India, a press release from the High Commission of India said.

It involved construction of artificial recharge structures, such as one recharge trench, one recharge pit, two ring wells, eleven recharge tube wells, and ten piezometers.

The main objective of the project is to show the effectiveness of rain water harvesting in supplementing and improving the sustainability of water resources at local level by storing rain water in structures on ground or for artificially recharging ground water resources, the statement said.