People in Koggala exclaim!
Aug 03, 2016
People living in the Godakogalla and Karambalamulla DS division in the Ruhunu Ridiyagama area belong to the Ambalantota divisional secretariat is facing serious difficulties for the past 15 days without drinking water despite the availability of a drinking water project named Ruhunupura water project. The people in the area have to do nothing but sigh looking at the water belonging to their village is used by surrounding villages.
Although water is supplied from the Ruhunupura water project to surrounding villages, it is regrettable that the people living in Ridiyagama are unable to use this water. Although politicians and authorities were raised awareness about this water problem no reliable steps has been taken so far. During the last 16 days People in the area protested twice and finally indulged in a protest last 25th at the Ambalantota town blocking the Matara-Tissamaharama road urging the authorities to consider that water is a basic need. However the protest ended remanding a monk and few people in the village who indulged in the protest for five days for demanding drinking water.
Although the Ambalantota divisional secretariat supplied water to the village using water bowsers, people said the water supplied is not sufficient for all the people and some people are not getting water.
Residents in the village said despite taking the protesters into custody their drinking water problem is not resolved. According to reports there are more than 2500 people belong to 540 families living in those two DS divisions are seriously affected due to this drinking water problem.
People in the area said the water taken from the Ridiyagama reservoir is supplied to the Mattala airport, Hambanthota sea port, sports stadium, Safari park, Embilipitiya and Moraketiya areas, the people living in the area are not fortunate to get this water from the project situated within the village. The people urge the authorities to supply water to them through this project.
Few villagers gave their opinion about the current water problem they are affected with.
A.P. Chitrani – “For many days we don’t have drinking water. We have to walk four to five kilometers to bring water. Children cannot study, we urge the authorities to provide water to drink”
N.P. Renuka Nilmini – “Since we don’t have water we bring water from the canal, boil and drink. Children had stomach problems when they drank the canal water. There are many kidney patients in our village and nobody is taking care of them. That is the reason we started a protest. Meantime along with our chief monk, 32 people got remanded but nobody was bothered to look in to our water problem. We urge the president to give us drinking water”
Dayawathie – “Currently we drink mud water and that too is going to over. Suddenly a water bowser come and distributes water. Youths who felt sad their village started a protest. The police remanded them for five days. Despite taking strong legal actions and while there are three ministers in our village nobody came forward to resolve our water problem. Clean water is flowing through our village to other villages, we urge the officials to provide us that water”
G.L. Jayasena – “For so many days there is no water to our village, therefore we started a protest. The police arrested us and remanded them. We were bailed but our problem was not resolved. Recently we were given water from tube wells but it was not cleaned. We received black water not suitable to drink. We demanded filters from the previous government. They told us by the expenditure spending for the filter they can open the water project and distribute water. Meantime our village water is distributed to other villages but not for us. We urge our lake water should be given to us first before distributing others”
Although the Ambalantota divisional secretariat supplied water to the village using water bowsers, people said the water supplied is not sufficient for all the people and some people are not getting water.
Residents in the village said despite taking the protesters into custody their drinking water problem is not resolved. According to reports there are more than 2500 people belong to 540 families living in those two DS divisions are seriously affected due to this drinking water problem.
People in the area said the water taken from the Ridiyagama reservoir is supplied to the Mattala airport, Hambanthota sea port, sports stadium, Safari park, Embilipitiya and Moraketiya areas, the people living in the area are not fortunate to get this water from the project situated within the village. The people urge the authorities to supply water to them through this project.
Few villagers gave their opinion about the current water problem they are affected with.
A.P. Chitrani – “For many days we don’t have drinking water. We have to walk four to five kilometers to bring water. Children cannot study, we urge the authorities to provide water to drink”
N.P. Renuka Nilmini – “Since we don’t have water we bring water from the canal, boil and drink. Children had stomach problems when they drank the canal water. There are many kidney patients in our village and nobody is taking care of them. That is the reason we started a protest. Meantime along with our chief monk, 32 people got remanded but nobody was bothered to look in to our water problem. We urge the president to give us drinking water”
Dayawathie – “Currently we drink mud water and that too is going to over. Suddenly a water bowser come and distributes water. Youths who felt sad their village started a protest. The police remanded them for five days. Despite taking strong legal actions and while there are three ministers in our village nobody came forward to resolve our water problem. Clean water is flowing through our village to other villages, we urge the officials to provide us that water”
G.L. Jayasena – “For so many days there is no water to our village, therefore we started a protest. The police arrested us and remanded them. We were bailed but our problem was not resolved. Recently we were given water from tube wells but it was not cleaned. We received black water not suitable to drink. We demanded filters from the previous government. They told us by the expenditure spending for the filter they can open the water project and distribute water. Meantime our village water is distributed to other villages but not for us. We urge our lake water should be given to us first before distributing others”
