Today marks World Water Day

COLOMBO (News 1st): The world celebrates World Water Day today, in what is a timely reminder to us all to protect our most valuable resource. Over a hundred rivers carrying colossal bodies of water relentlessly flow to the sea each day. All these rivers feed off natural water springs deriving from the central highlands of the country. Sri Lanka's bond with water is timeless. We today are the proud inheritors of thousands of Wewa's, a novel concept of our very own ancestors and a robust irrigation system developed by our forefathers, which surpassed technological advancements of the time. Unfortunately, that bond has been tarnished in recent times, with many communities in rural Sri Lanka being deprived of clean drinking water. Annual studies conducted by Gammedda together with the University of Peradeniya, which saw multiple teams journeying to the most downtrodden areas of Sri Lanka, brought forth a grim revelation of the acute shortage of clean drinking water in most parts of the island. Realizing the need of the hour, Gammadda mobilized its resources by way of community outreach programs to overcome this challenge on behalf of people, together with the people. Boralegama in Weligama, Hambegamuwa, Wellawala, Diyawella, Kebithigollewa, Thanamalwila, Kiulegama, Thumbullegama, Karaadugala in Bibila, Atharagallewa, Kelekumbukwewa in Thalawa, Anuradhapura are but a few communities which have benefitted through water projects initiated and completed by Gammadda. Children are the future of our nation and it is only apt that they do not face a semblance of inconvenience in their pursuit of education. Hence, Gammadda successfully vested a multitude of drinking water projects at schools including the Agaliya Maha Vidyalaya in Oothuchena, Batticaloa, Maha Bellana Primary School in Alubomulla and the Paragala Primary School in Matara. Recognizing the need to study our ancient irrigation system, the Gammedda Wewen Weweta program was launched in 2017, supported by the University of Peradeniya to preserve our invaluable cascade system, which is inherent to our nation. Through this, Weva's and drainage patterns of the cascade system were mapped and the data uncovered through the study was published as a report. In April 2018, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) declared Sri Lanka's cascade system a World Heritage Site. Sri Lanka's rivers, wevas, and its sophisticated irrigation system are ours, and ours only. Hence, the responsibility of preserving, protecting, and developing Sri Lanka's unparalleled natural water sources is ours and ours only.