Sri Lanka, Paragalla (2007)

This was a large-scale project aiming to provide a safe water supply for 2860 rural families, 13,010 beneficiaries, by constructing 1247 water and sanitation units in the poorer areas of Sri Lanka.

Most destitute people in the rural areas of Sri Lanka were forced to use water that was unfit for human consumption and this caused them to suffer from bowel and skin disease. The vulnerability of the rural community to health problems, which lead to a loss of economic productivity, was due to inadequacies in access to water supply and sanitation facilities. 57% of the Sri Lankan population does not have access to safe drinking water.

Project Objective

The objective of this project was to construct a new Gravity Water Supply System (GWSS) to provide sufficient water convenient for household use (i.e. drinking, cooking and dishwashing) and a Preschool to a village comprising of around 452 residents from 92 families.This project was created for the village of Paragala in the Kandy District of Sri Lanka. The general topography of the region is mountainous.

Before commencement of this project, the families in the village obtained their drinking water from open streams and unprotected wells in the area. Women who are burdened with the task of providing water for households were compelled to travel long distances daily to fetch water from such sources. Very often villagers, especially children, were subjected to water-borne diseases due to use of unsafe water.

On the request of Sarvodaya Shramadana Society (SSS), a community-based Organization, Sarvodaya with its technical expertise that specialized in Gravity Water Supply Projects measured the flow for several months. The flow of spring was sufficient to justify the construction of project.

Under these circumstances, Sarvodaya decided to propose a GWSS for the village with the collaboration of Just a Drop of Water Organization.  Thereafter Sarvodaya contacted Just A Drop of Water for funding assistance, they also responded to solve this problem.