A new initiative has been launched to make efficient use of public and private wells, reservoirs, streams and other groundwater sources in the Western Province to meet the water needs of the public.

Accordingly, a special discussion was held at the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply at Sethsiripaya to identify alternative water sources in the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts and explore ways to utilise them systematically for drinking, domestic, agricultural, industrial and other purposes.

The discussion was held under the patronage of Minister of Water Supply Dr. Susil Ranasinghe and the ministry secretary, with the participation of the chairpersons of 53 local government authorities, including municipal councils, urban councils and pradeshiya sabhas in the three districts.

Although the National Water Supply and Drainage Board provides water to a large part of the Western Province, attention was drawn during the meeting to the underutilisation of the many natural and alternative water sources available in these areas.

The main objective of the initiative is to identify existing alternative water sources, assess their water quality and capacity, and establish a mechanism to utilise them for appropriate purposes.

Through this initiative, it is expected that treated water supplied by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board will be used more efficiently, while currently underutilised water sources will be put to better use.

The successful implementation of the programme is expected to strengthen water resource management, expand the use of suitable water sources for agricultural and industrial purposes, and promote the sustainable management of water resources in the Western Province.