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Rainwater harvesting can revolutionises access to clean water in Sri Lanka – LRWHF
If a family with four members switch to rainwater harvesting each family members will have access to about 130 litres of water a day, and the water will be free following the initial investment to establish a rainwater harvesting system,
Tanuja Ariyananda of the Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum (LRWHF) said during a recent seminar organised by the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL).About 40 percent of Sri Lankans still depend on wells, springs and other natural sources to meet the daily water requirement, she said.Given climate change these individuals may face problems accessing quality water in the future, she said.
“There has been a great interest in this system for the past 30 years. Now around the world there are about 160 million people who benefit from this system. They use this for domestic consumption,” she said.
Ariyananda said rainwater harvesting is important to Sri Lanka because water stress is growing due to human activity, urban development, pollution, etc. Droughts and floods have both become more frequent and both affect access to clean water, she said.
“Sri Lankans in many parts of the country can benefit from rainwater harvesting. This can benefit people in arid and semi-arid areas as well as those living in high elevation. It will also help people who use ground water of poor quality. We must not forget that some researchers link arsenic and fluoride in ground water to CKDu,” she said.
Most Sri Lankans are now crippled with high cost of living and rainwater harvesting saves money by reducing the water bill by up to 60 percent. It can also save the electricity bill by reducing the need to operate water motors, etc., she said.
Ariyananda said 60 percent of the rain that falls in the wet zone of the country is wasted as run off. The number is 40 percent in the dry zone, she said.She added that Sri Lanka has about 50,000 rainwater harvesting systems installed.
Ariyananda said a resident of Colombo with a roofing area of 100 square metres can collect about 192,000 litres of rainwater in a year. The number if 147,200 litres of rainwater for Kandy, 102,400 litres of rainwater in Anuradhapura, 83,900 litres of rainwater in Hambantota, 98,400 litres of rainwater in Jaffna and 300,000 litres of rainwater in Ratnapura, she said.
“If we take the case of Colombo and if we assume there are four people in the family, we can collect about 130 litres of water per person per day. This probably exceeds the daily requirement of a person,” she said.
Ariyananda said there are about 340 schools in Colombo and that the average roof area of a school is 1,000 square metres. The annual rainwater that can be collected by the Colombo schools is 548,800 cubic metres. If we calculate the value of water at 60 rupees a cubic meter, it comes to 32,928,000 rupees,” he said.
She added that some Sri Lankans are concerned about the quality of rainwater. A WHO study in 2017 found that the quality of harvested rainwater is second only to piped water. The quality of harvested rainwater is better than water from bore holes, protected springs and dug wells, according to the WHO research.
Ariyananda said a private higher education institution in Malambe recently started harvesting rainwater from a roof area of 5,525 square meters and that the collected water was adequate to meet 75 percent of the total water demand of the university.
“Imagine the savings this establishment made,” she said.
She said that there is a high initial cost to set up a rainwater harvesting system. The initial cost may be daunting, especially if someone is from a poor community.
“However, the state spends about 1.5 million rupees to give a water connection. But we can build a rainwater harvesting system for Rs 200,000 rupees. Then the household gets free water afterwards. The state can save money by giving rainwater harvesting systems to people,” she said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
