Colombo (News 1st): Today (March 22), marks a significant day, for a resource that is highly precious, and increasingly becoming scarce. A commodity, many have access and abuse it, and at the same time, the rest hoped and wished, they belonged to the “many” category. “Water”.

Since March 22nd is the “World Water Day”, how did 22nd turn out to be a day dedicated for Water? 27-years ago, a resolution was raised, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) at Rio, Brazil. A resolution A/RES/47/193 of December 22, 1992, was passed by the UNCED, giving the green light that March 22 of each year is to be observed as “Universal Water Day” from 1993 onwards.

Shifting and spreading the spotlight, to our own Sri Lanka, the island, is also a victim of the deteriorating issue. A project by Gammadda, a News 1st CSR initiative, uncovered the provinces, places and it’s the percentage with the drinking water problem.

Accordingly, the following list indicates the worst affected two places from each province,

Southern Province:

• Galle 33%
• Hambantota 44%

Sabaragamuva Province:

• Rathnapura 77%
• Kegalle  88%

Western Province:

• Colombo 96.2%
• Kalutara 80%

Central Province:

• Kandy 60.7%
• Nuwara-Eliya 52%

Eastern Province: 

• Batticaloa 80.5%

North Central Province:

• Anuradhapura 88%
• Polonnaruwa 84%

North Western Province:

• Puttalam 54.5%

Northern Province:

• Jaffna 82.2%
• Vavuniya 88.2%

However, what’s startling is that the most-developed western province, and it’s capital city, Colombo, has the biggest issue of drinking water. Kalutara, the coastal city, has a big problem at 80%.

The next worst province in North Central Province, with both its districts where *0% plus have issues with drinking water.

There’s a simple message, we need to remember and realize, that’s it’s in line with this year’s theme. While, there’s a population privileged to have gained access to clean drinking water, there’s a known, unknown and under-privileged population struggling and suffering with, little or no access.

This year’s theme is, “let’s leave no one behind”, it’s time we wholeheartedly practice, and most importantly, not waste water. Let’s use water, and let share clean drinking water with others, too.

Let’s Save Water!

Let’s Leave No One Behind!