The Supreme Court has instructed the respondents in the Uma Oya case to supply drinking water to the residents of the twelve villages which were deprived of drinking water as a result of the Uma Oya Project, by the end of the year.

The ruling was made when a fundamental rights petition filed by four farmers from Bandarawela was taken up on Monday, July 04.Court also informed the farmers to seek compensation via the Mahaweli Authority, for farmland that was destroyed as a result of the project.

The Mahaweli Development Authority, the Central Environmental Authority, the Secretary of the Environment Ministry and the Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry were among the respondents cited in this petition.

The petition was taken up before a two-member bench comprising of Chief Justice K. Sri Pavan and Justice Eva Wanasundara. The case will be taken up again on September 14.

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