Disaster-resilient drinking water for flood and drought-prone areas

The Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum (LRHF) has expanded its activities in Anuradhapura district. The main objectives of the project are to provide drinking water for primary kidney patients and low-income families through rainwater harvesting.

The project also aims to improve their health and save money spent on safe water. The other objectives are minimizing groundwater degradation due to over exploitation.

LRHF Chief Executive Officer Dr. Tanuja Ariyananda told the Daily News that the institute was established in 1997 to promote rainwater harvesting and usage.

“The Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum is not a profit-making organization and was established to promote rainwater harvesting for domestic use. Over the past 25 years, we have been working in all districts to construct rainwater harvesting systems at households, schools, hospitals and public places,” she said.

“Our aim is to promote the utilization of rainwater for domestic purposes, home gardening and domestic-level agriculture.

We implemented the programme initially in Anuradhapura, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Badulla, Moneragala and Kilinochchi districts.

We partner with the National Water Supply and Drainage Board and national and international agencies in implementing nearly 49,000 rainwater harvesting approaches nationwide,” she added.

The project funding is done under the patronage of USAID.

Anuradhapura district secretary Janaka Jayasundara who has approved the implementation of LRHF’s programme aid that the Anuradhapura project duration is three years, from 2022 to 2025.

“The beneficiaries of the project in the district are selected by the district secretariat according to the census done by the LRHF about those facing a dearth of drinking water. The first priority is given to families with kidney diseases. This project has been extended to the Anuradhapura district from last year and up to last September, 19 systems of 16,000-litre capacity have been built in 10 schools and 12 households,” he said.

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