Project to Implement Rain Water Harvesting in Tsunami Affected Areas of the Southern Province

Home / Project to Implement Rain Water Harvesting in Tsunami Affected Areas of the Southern Province

Project Area

Tsunami affected areas of Galle, Matara and Hambantota Districts in Southern Province

Duration

January 2006 - May 2009 (Project Completed)

Funded by

Malteser International and UNICEF

Objectives

Introduction of rain water harvesting systems for drinking purposes in tsunami effected areas of Galle, Matara and Hambantota.

Expected Outputs of the project

Conducting awareness programs in each district
Training pool of masons in each district
Rehabilitating existing RWH systems
Establishing 3-4 resource Centers for Rain water harvesting in each district
Constructing 3000 RWH units for domestic purposes in all 3 districts
Operation and Maintenance (O&M) programmes carried out
Establishing a network to share information and linking with relevant authorities.

Outputs of the Project (as on August 2009)

1. Awareness programmes

Four awareness programs were conducted for government and NGO officials at Matara D.S. division (06-06-2006); at District Secretariat Galle (July-2006); Habaraduwa D.S. office (4th July 2006) and at Hambantota.

A program conducted for PHIs in Hambantota - Three awareness programs were held in each of the 27 of the 37 villages selected for implementation of RWH systems during this period. Other 10 GN divisions only one Household was selected.
20 public awareness programs were conducted in selected villages. 6 Out of these were held in Galle District Katuwila, Singhadeewaragama, Apegama, Sumithurugama, UN Habitat site Balapitiya and Sri Devananda Vidayala, Gahalhena. 14 were held at following villages in Matara District: Batuwita, Dampahala, Bengamuwa, Dampahala west, Mukulanyaiya, Urugamuwa, Bodarakanda, Ransagoda south, Beragamma south, Urumuttha, Nakulugamuwa, Daluwakgoda, Weedikandab and Kadurupokuna
A training session was conducted and participated in the exhibition held at BMICH, WEC conference in November 2006.
Several meetings were held with local NGOs (Women’s Development Society, Ruhuna Women’s Development Association)
Several meetings were held with DPDH and NWS&DB staff.

Other public awareness programmes

Four radio programs on “Ruhuna Sevaya” were sponsored for RWH awareness
One awareness program for media personnel was conducted in Matara.
Awareness programs were conducted for the children and teachers of Urumutha Maha Vidayalaya.
Awareness programs were conducted in all the selected villages. (44 villages).
Handing over of the 1000th tank to the beneficiary at Nisala Sevana, Rathgama was held on the 30th March 2007.
Handling over ceremony of the 3000 th tank was conducted at Deeogada, Galle was attended by government officials of the district.

Exhibitions

LRWHF staff participated in several exhibitions in the area by Hygiene Promotion staff from Malteser International.
An exhibition was held at Rajapaksha Maha Vidayalaya in Weeraketiya in March 2008. This exhibition of posters, poems, essays and models was attended by children of 10 schools from Tangalle, Weerakatiya, Mulkirigala, Beliatta and Madamulana.
Took part in exhibitions held by Malteser International on 24-25th February 2007 in Habaraduwa and 10-11th March 2007 in Weligama
An exhibition for public and poster competition for school children was held at Cultural Center, Nupe, Matara on the 22nd March to mark World Water Day. Attended by over 112 representing government officials and several NGO’s operating in Matara as well as 9 schools.

2. Training of masons

Two mason training programs were conducted in Godagama and in Addunkele and a total of 19 masons were trained during these. In addition, 4 masons were given on the job training.
19 masons (14 from Hambantota and 5 from Matara) were trained on construction of above ground ferro-cement tanks.
5 masons were trained on construction of underground tanks.
One plumber training workshop was conducted for 35 masons.
10 selected masons (8 from Hambantota and 1 each from Matara and Galle) were provided with a tool kit.
4 masons from the 3 districts were given on the job training and were given a set of frames and masonry tool.
Total of 45 mason were re trained on improvements to tank design and also to incorporate new components developed from Research Development activity during the phase 2
36 used frames were repaired and handed over to the masons who were involved in construction of the RWH system

3. Rehabilitating existing RWH systems
No sites to rehabilitating existing RWH systems were identified in Galle district during the rapid assessment. 30 tanks under ground brick tanks constructed by previous CWSSP project were identified for rehabilitation in Bengamuwa in Matara district.

4. Resource centres
Sixteen RWH tanks were constructed in 14 resource centres established in Galle (4), Matara (7) and Hambantota (5) districts. RWH tanks were constructed in Following is a list of resource centres.

Galle (4 tanks)	Matara (7 tanks)	Hambantota (5 tanks)
1. Devananda collage (Ambalangoda)	1. Sunanda Pirivena	1. Mulkirigala temple (2 tanks)
2. Weragoda school	2. Mirissa balika Vidayalaya	2. Weeraketiya Rajapaksha Vidyalaya
3. Shripathi Vidyalaya	3. Mediha Agricultural Center	3. Ruhunu roral Women Association Centre
4. Vimal Vihara	4. Peekwella Temple	4. Hungama School
	5. Urumutta School	5. District Secretaries Office, Hambantota.
	6. Weleyaya School (2 tanks)

Eighteen Community Focal person from the project area were identified to act as resource persons and manage resource centres within the project areas in Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts. These persons were trained on operation and maintenance of the RWH system by LRWHF staff.

5. Construction of RWH Units

A total of a 3,026 RWH systems (5 m3 capacity tanks) were constructed in following districts

District	Total RWH tanks	UNICEF Funded	Malteser funded
Galle	1,098	698	400
Matara	830	212	618
Matara	1,098	350	748
Total	3,026	1,260	1,766

6. Operation and Maintenance (O&M) programmes

A total of 87 Operation and Maintenance programmes and meetings were carried out at; The average participation at O&M meetings was about 65%.

- Abangaha temple (Ahungalla)
- Addunkale
- Ahungalla
- Aluketiya
- Akurala
- Aththuda
- Balapitiya
- Bamunugama
- Batadola
- Baragama south
- Baraganmulla
- Bellagaswewa
- Bendishhena
- Bengamuwa
- Bengamuwa south (3)
- Bodarakanda
- Dangala
- Dampahala west (3)
- Dammala
- Dandeniya
- Deegoda Athiraka
- Denuwala
- Galbokka
- Galkanda
- Godagama
- Gonnoruwa
- Goviyapana
- Habaraduwa (2)
- Heegoda
- Horawinna
- Kaburugamuwa
- Kalupe (2)
- Kambiadiya
- Katapalakanda
- Katuwilla
- Kondagala
- Keeripitiya
- Kodagoda
- Kosmodara
- Magamure (2)
- Mattala (Left bank)
- Mattala (Right bank)
- Meegasjambura
- Middaramulla
- Midigama (2)
- Mirissa North
- Modergoda
- Mukalanyaya
- Nadugala
- Nakandapura East
- Narandeniya
- Niyagama (Haddagodawatta)
- Pabakossa
- Palana
- Palatuwa
- Pathramulla (2)
- Peranibeddawewa
- Pinnaduwa
- Ransagoda (2)
- Ransagoda south (2)
- Rathkakulawa (3)
- Seenipalla
- Singhadeewaragama
- Siyabalahaddawa
- Sumithurugama
- Talagagama
- Thennahena
- Thihagoda
- Udumulla
- Uggalpoththa
- Urugamuwa (2)
- Weliwathugoda
- Wileyaya

7. Networking

Meeting were held with NWS&DB officials, DPDHS Matara (Public Health Inspectors), Southern Development Authority in Hambantota and Gamidiriya.

8. Research & Development

Research and Development activities were conducted on the following components:

Tank lid: Several trials to improve the lid of the tank were tried. Mould was made to fabricate the lid in plastic. Can be adopted in the next phase.
Outlet pipe: Modified to make it shorter from the stand, which was adopted.
Inlet filter: Several designs were tested. Can be adopted in the next phase.
Gutter Ball:A bottle pierced with holes was fixed at the running head of the gutter to prevent leaf materials entering the down pipe, which was adopted for all systems.
Floating intake: Design is tested. Need further testing.
First flush: Several designs of first flush modification were tested.
Filter: Clay filter was tried. Need to find manufacturers.
Householder household filter methods were introduced and items distributed to the following sites.
SODIS: (Budiyagama): Two hundred 1-liter plastic bottles (4 for each households) and bottle brush were distributed.
Biosand Filter: 53 were distributed in Sooriyawawe (38 filters) and Nadugala (15 filters) villages.
Chlorination: Hediwatta (50 x 4, 20 ml Chlorine liquid bottles and 50 x 20 liter jerry cans)
Clay filters: 51 Clay filters were distributed in Mahawelikadawa. Training was given to Malteser International and LRWHF staff on operation and maintenance of the filters and training the householders.

9. Advocacy meetings

LRWHF staff participated in several exhibitions in the area by Hygiene Promotion staff from Malteser International.
A workshop was conducted to share project finding on the 16th May 2009 at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. It was inaugurated by the Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister for Urban Development and Sacred Area Development. It was attended by 46 participants from government officials, funders, researchers, interested public and members of LRWHF.
A bill board was designed, printed and constructed to publicize RWH and the project in the south at Weligama on Galle Road ( Annex 5; Bill board)

Photo Gallery