Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-10-31

Obtaining Groundwater Surveying Equipment and Drilling Machines for the Development of the Groundwater Resources of the areas affected by Dry Weather

- Surface water sources as well as ground water sources are used in order to fulfill the demand for water in Sri Lanka. Due to the dry weather conditions prevailing in Sri Lanka, ground water sources have to be used mostly, to fulfill the water needs of specially in the District of Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Monaragala and Hambantota. The Water Resources Board is the main institution for the development of ground water resources in Sri Lanka but since most of the drilling machines owned by the Board are more than 20 years old, the proposal made by Hon. Vijith Vijayamuni Zoysa, the Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management, to provide facilities necessary for the development and improvement of the ground water resources in the areas affected by dry weather conditions and for the usage of ground water sources with some regulatory measures, was approved by the Cabinet.