<ul><li>Largest Jaffna scheme estimated at $ 220 m&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul> The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) is proceeding with three seawater desalination projects in the Jaffna Peninsula to address acute freshwater shortages in areas with scarce natural surface water resources.&nbsp;The move comes as dry weather conditions continue to affect 35,169 families, comprising 115,586 people, across seven districts.The three sea water purification projects are currently underway under the NWSDB, with the Jaffna city scheme, the largest of the three, estimated to cost $ 220 million and funded through a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).&nbsp;NWSDB Chairman Chandana Bandara told The Sunday Morning that the remaining two projects, focusing on islands in the Northern Province and smaller in scale, were estimated to cost between $ 20 million and $ 50 million.&nbsp;Explaining the reason behind turning to seawater desalination to supply water to the Jaffna Peninsula, Bandara said that natural freshwater sources were exceptionally scarce in Jaffna, where lagoon water and shallow well supplies suffered from high salinity. To address this, the NWSDB is using Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology in order to remove salinity and treat seawater for public distribution.His remarks followed the disclosure by Minister of Water Supply Susil Ranasinghe in Parliament on Thursday (10) on the status of the three seawater projects.A central RO desalination plant with a processing capacity of 24,000 cubic metres per day has been installed to supply the city of Jaffna.“The use of RO technology is not new to Sri Lanka, as it has previously been used on a small scale. However, this is the first time we are using it on such a large scale,” Bandara said.“We have currently provided around 100,000 connections to cover a significant portion of the city’s population and we are expanding further,” he noted, adding that smaller desalination units previously installed across the northern islands were also being upgraded and reactivated.Alongside the desalination drive, the NWSDB has launched a groundwater exploration project to prepare for severe drought conditions forecast by meteorologists. Bandara explained that prolonged dry weather primarily depleted surface water levels in rivers and reservoirs, making deep underground water reserves essential for maintaining supplies.The deep groundwater initiative is already operational in the North Western and Southern Provinces, with expansion underway across the Eastern, Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva, and North Central Provinces, targeting areas including Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Puttalam. The project involves constructing new deep tube wells as well as cleaning and restoring existing abandoned wells.Meanwhile, addressing Parliament on the national water scarcity and the Government’s countermeasures, Minister Ranasinghe said that water bowsers had been deployed to meet urgent community needs. He added that the Government had increased the official daily drinking water allocation from six litres to 15 litres per person.The Minister said that groundwater sources and certain inland reservoirs, such as Unnichchai Wewa in Batticaloa and local supply systems in Monaragala, were experiencing declining water levels and supply constraints. However, seawater purification facilities and key western river basins continue to operate without disruption.The NWSDB purifies approximately three million cubic metres of water daily, drawing on a combination of groundwater, reservoirs, rivers, and seawater desalination.To safeguard communities against the ongoing impacts of El Niño and dry conditions expected to extend into early 2027, the Government is implementing medium- and long-term measures, including the restoration of abandoned tube wells, with 57 already rehabilitated in Monaragala, and the strengthening of groundwater infrastructure.Local disaster management mechanisms, led by divisional secretaries in coordination with local authorities, armed forces, and community organisations, are overseeing bowser operations, fuel subsidies, and localised relief efforts across the affected districts.According to figures presented by Minister Ranasinghe, groundwater is drawn from 59 sources across the country, providing between 7,000 and 10,000 cubic metres daily. These sources are currently affected to some extent by the dry weather.Another 59 reservoir sources supply 1.2 million cubic metres daily. Major reservoirs under the Department of Irrigation are at 34% capacity, but with agricultural water releases concluded for the season, the available water is expected to be sufficient to maintain drinking water supplies until rains arrive at the end of September.Reservoirs under the Mahaweli Authority remain above 50% capacity, with no supply issues expected. At the Senanayake Samudraya in Ampara, water levels have declined, although the suspension of agricultural releases is expected to maintain adequate capacity until the anticipated late-September rains.Rivers and streams provide approximately 2.2 million cubic metres daily. In the Western Province, recent rainfall in the Kalu Ganga and Kelani Ganga basins has maintained water levels without any significant decline, securing supplies for 1.3 million consumers through late September.Seawater is drawn and purified through the three main desalination projects, which the Minister said were currently operating without issues.In Batticaloa, falling water levels at Unnichchai Wewa have forced authorities to reduce water supply to 75,000 families from 24 hours to 20 hours a day. Existing capacity is expected to remain manageable until the late-September rains, while three alternative wells are being prepared in case the main supply has to be further restricted.In Monaragala, NWSDB supplies have been disrupted in Bibile, Medagama, Madulla, and Monaragala town.Islandwide, of the 5,464 community water schemes, 1,897 are either under threat or have already dried up. These include small wells, tube wells, and local streams that typically supply communities of between 100 and 150 families.While the current dry conditions are expected to ease with rains anticipated in late September and during October, November, and December, weather forecasts point to an unusually severe dry spell in February, March, and April 2027, driven by El Niño.

Dry weather: Govt. turns to desalination projects

<ul><li>Another round of discussions with India later this month</li><li>24 Indian vessels taken into custody since Jan.</li></ul> The Government is yet to consider compensating northern fishermen for fishing gear and equipment allegedly damaged by Indian bottom trawlers operating in Sri Lankan waters, despite requests by fishing communities and recorded losses.&nbsp;Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Director General Susantha Kahawatta told The Sunday Morning that the Government had not yet considered compensation for losses worth millions suffered by northern fishermen as a result of Indian bottom trawling.&nbsp;This, despite requests made by some fishing communities in relation to the damage done to their livelihoods.Kahawatta added that Sri Lanka was preparing for another round of discussions with India on the long-running fisheries dispute, with the next round of official-level talks expected to be held in India towards the end of this month.&nbsp;“Since the discussions were held in Sri Lanka last time, they are set to be held in India this time. We have scheduled them for the end of this month,” he noted.The talks are expected to focus on the long-standing issue of Indian fishermen entering Sri Lankan waters and engaging in bottom trawling, which has been a major concern among northern fishing communities.Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Navy confirmed that 19 Indian trawlers and five dhows had been taken into Sri Lankan custody from January to date. The Spokesperson said that the vessels had been taken into custody while illegally fishing in Sri Lankan waters, adding that most of the vessels were from South India.&nbsp;Environmentalists have warned that continued bottom trawling could have serious long-term consequences for Sri Lanka’s marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of local fishermen.&nbsp;Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Chairman Hemantha Withanage said that bottom trawling caused extensive damage to coral ecosystems and fish-breeding grounds, describing the practice as a “complete devastation of biodiversity”.“Trawlers destroy everything. Thousands of large trawlers come and destroy coral reefs and fish-breeding grounds. They drag nets with heavy iron balls along the ocean bed to catch fish,” he said.&nbsp;Withanage warned that environmental destruction would directly impact future fish availability and, consequently, the livelihoods of fishermen in the Northern Province.“This will have a long-term effect because areas of Jaffna and Mannar contribute more than 30% of Sri Lanka’s fish sources. When corals and other marine ecosystems are destroyed due to bottom trawling, we are destroying food. In terms of long-term effects, fish stocks could decline over the next couple of years. We are already seeing short-term effects,” he noted.

Indian poaching: Govt. yet to consider compensation

India and Sri Lanka will discuss establishing a security-related Artificial Intelligence (AI) training laboratory to build the capabilities of Sri Lankan armed forces.Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh revealed that Colombo and New Delhi had held talks about the proposition during his recent visit to Colombo last week. He noted this while addressing a gathering aboard the INS Udaygiri, which called at the Port of Colombo.&nbsp;The proposal comes amid ongoing efforts to strengthen defence cooperation between the two countries.Singh, who held a series of high-level engagements during his visit, including a meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, called for further strengthening the long-standing India-Sri Lanka defence and strategic partnership, with particular emphasis on maritime cooperation.Addressing senior officials at the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence on Wednesday (9), the Indian Defence Minister said that secure sea lanes, freedom of navigation, respect for international law, and unhindered maritime trade were pivotal to the collective security and prosperity of the Indian Ocean Region.He said that India and Sri Lanka needed to devise and implement joint protocols, sharpen skills, and share experiences to address emerging threats arising from rapidly changing global and regional dynamics.&nbsp;Significantly, Singh envisaged the two countries becoming joint stakeholders in developing an integrated Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) system capable of providing comprehensive maritime information on a real-time basis.According to Singh, such a mechanism would require systematic cooperation and interaction among relevant agencies, navies, and coast guards of the two countries to address illegal fishing, suspicious vessel movements, narcotics trafficking, smuggling, terrorism, and other security threats.He also proposed exploring the establishment of a joint Maritime Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) system involving relevant agencies from both countries to facilitate coordinated and rapid responses to natural and man-made disasters.&nbsp;Singh said India was ready to expand cooperation with Sri Lanka in capacity building and joint exercises, enabling the two countries to learn from each other’s experiences and refine protocols for implementing joint initiatives.It is learnt that Sri Lanka and India entered into three Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) during Singh’s visit, involving the upgrading of air defence systems and capacity building opportunities for Sri Lanka’s National Cadet Corps (NCC) and the National Defence College (NDC).&nbsp;

India, SL explore AI training lab for defence 

Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara has rejected concerns that the deadly grenade attack in Dehiwala early Friday (11) indicates a rise in organised crime activity, saying that authorities do not have sufficient information to draw such a conclusion yet.&nbsp;His remarks came after two children were killed and their father injured when an unidentified assailant hurled a hand grenade into their home on Sirisangabo Mawatha in Kawdana, Dehiwala at around 3 a.m.&nbsp;Asked by The Sunday Morning whether the attack pointed to an escalation in underworld activity involving grenades, Jayasekara said it was too early to reach such a conclusion.&nbsp;“It is not an increase. We are yet to receive accurate information regarding what it is. We should be able to know what happened by the weekend,” he said.&nbsp;Jayasekara added that a Police investigation team was examining the incident to establish its circumstances and background.&nbsp;According to the Police, the assailant arrived at the house in a three-wheeler, knocked on the front door, and threw the grenade inside when the occupants answered.&nbsp;Two boys, aged 10 and 17, who were inside the house, sustained serious injuries and later succumbed to their injuries at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila. Their 55-year-old father sustained injuries to his leg and remains hospitalised. The Police said that the father had no previous criminal record.&nbsp;CCTV footage reportedly captured the suspect arriving at the scene, while the three-wheeler believed to have been used in the attack was subsequently found abandoned in the Ihala Bope area of Padukka.&nbsp;Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler said preliminary investigations indicated that the assailant may have targeted the wrong house. The intended target is believed to have been a nearby residence linked to an individual allegedly involved in narcotics distribution and associated with underworld figure ‘Badowita Asanka’.&nbsp;Investigators are also examining whether the attack was linked to an ongoing feud between groups associated with ‘Badowita Asanka’ and rival underworld figure ‘Kos Malli’.&nbsp;A magisterial inquiry was conducted at the scene on Friday morning, while three Police teams have been deployed to investigate the attack.&nbsp;The Police said that investigations were continuing and the motive behind the attack had yet to be established.

Grenade blasts: Little evidence of rise in crime: Dep. Min. 

<ul><li>Beneficiaries drop to 1,251,522 as of Aug.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul> The Welfare Benefits Board (WBB) expects to complete the recertification of beneficiaries enrolled in the first phase of the Aswesuma welfare benefit programme by 29 September and publish the final list following board approval, WBB Chairman Nimal Kotawalagedara has said.&nbsp;Kotawalagedara told The Sunday Morning that recertification had progressed slowly in certain divisions and districts, preventing the WBB from releasing the finalised list.&nbsp;“We expect to complete the process by 29 September so that we can obtain board approval and display the list,” he said.Kotawalagedara added that beneficiary numbers could still increase once information was updated. He stressed that the recertification process would not necessarily result only in a reduction in beneficiaries.He also maintained that any reduction in beneficiary numbers was being made in accordance with criteria set out in the gazette approved by Parliament, rather than through an arbitrary administrative decision.“The reduction is taking place according to the gazette that was approved by Parliament,” he said, adding that it would be difficult to determine whether the overall number of eligible beneficiaries had actually declined until the recertified list was finalised.The remarks followed the disclosure by Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando in Parliament on Friday (11) that the number of beneficiaries receiving Aswesuma benefits had fallen to 1,251,522 as of August 2026, compared to 2,439,917 recorded in 2025.&nbsp;He was responding to a question from Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on whether the reduction had been carried out on the instructions of the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund (IMF).Rejecting the suggestions, Fernando said that the reassessment of beneficiaries had been mandated under the Welfare Benefits Act No.24 of 2002 from the programme’s inception in 2023.According to Fernando, the programme had 1,773,445 beneficiaries when it was launched in 2023, with the figure standing at 1,761,116 by December 2024. The number had then risen to 2,439,917 in 2025 before dropping to 1,251,522 by August 2026.The Deputy Minister attributed the decline to the winding down of two of the scheme’s four original categories.Aswesuma benefits were initially distributed under four categories: extremely poor, poor, vulnerable, and transitional. The transitional category was originally scheduled to end in April 2025, while payments to the vulnerable category ended in June 2026, leaving only the extremely poor and poor categories currently receiving benefits.“According to the original schedule, the remaining two categories will continue until June 2027. The re-survey will determine the final number of eligible beneficiaries, which currently stands at around 1.2 million,” Fernando told the House.Fernando said that the initial monthly Aswesuma allowances stood at Rs. 15,000 for the extremely poor category, Rs. 8,500 for the poor category, Rs. 5,000 for the vulnerable category, and Rs. 2,500 for the transitional category.The allowances were subsequently revised through a gazette notification issued on 15 December 2025. The allowance for the extremely poor category was increased to Rs. 17,500 and the allowance for the poor category to Rs. 10,000. The transitional category allowance was increased to Rs. 5,000 before payments under the category ended in December 2025.Fernando said that applications received during the first and second phases of the Aswesuma scheme were currently undergoing re-verification, with around 90% of the process already completed.“We expect to complete this process by the end of September, with 90% of the verification already completed,” he said.Kotawalagedara, meanwhile, said that the transitional and vulnerable categories had been introduced specifically in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis and had always been intended as temporary measures.“The transitional and vulnerable categories were included due to the Covid period and the prevailing economic crisis,” he said, adding that only the poor and extremely poor categories would continue going forward.

WBB to finalise Aswesuma recertification by end Sept.

<ul><li>Spare parts sought for repair, maintenance work</li><li>Major overhaul completed around 18 months ago</li><li>Procurement still subject to internal approvals</li></ul> Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd. (CPSTL) is moving to procure Rs. 137.5 million worth of marine equipment for repair and maintenance work of the Single Point Mooring (SPM) located offshore at its Muthurajawela facility, with the procurement focusing on spare parts and accessories rather than a complete replacement or fresh overhaul of the facility.&nbsp;CPSTL has called for bids for the supply of two marine breakaway couplings and accessories for the SPM, with the procurement estimated at Rs. 137.5 million.&nbsp;According to the tender notice, the equipment is to be sourced from internationally reputed manufacturers or their authorised agents, with the country of origin and manufacture restricted to the UK, Japan, the US, or European Union countries.&nbsp;Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and CPSTL Chairman D.J.A.S. De S. Rajakaruna said that the planned procurement was limited to accessories and related equipment, with no plans to replace the entire facility.&nbsp;“We are not going to upgrade the entire SPM,” he said.&nbsp;Meanwhile, CPSTL Executive Director Hemantha Kumara said that the equipment was being procured as spare parts required for additional repair work, noting that a major overhaul had already been carried out around one-and-a-half years ago.&nbsp;“An overhaul was completed about a year and a half ago. At the moment, there is only a need to import spare parts required for additional repairs, and the current process is not an overhaul,” he explained.&nbsp;However, the procurement is yet to receive the necessary internal approvals.&nbsp;Kumara stated that the relevant paper had not yet been presented to the board for approval and that the procurement process would formally proceed once the required approval was obtained.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka also said that the work planned at Muthurajawela did not involve replacing the existing facility, describing it instead as an enhancement.&nbsp;“It is not being replaced. What is happening there is an upgrade or enhancement,” he said.&nbsp;Under the tender conditions, bidders are required to provide a bid security of Rs. 1.65 million or $ 5,000, while the successful bidder will be required to deliver the equipment within 28 weeks of the letter of award.

Muthurajawela energy facility: CPSTL calls Rs. 137.5 m tender for SPM repairs

<ul><li>Fines range from Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 5 m</li><li>MRP also applies to hotels, tourist establishments&nbsp;</li><li>Valaichchenai restaurant fined Rs. 750,000</li></ul> The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has intensified islandwide raids against businesses selling plastic bottled drinking water above the stipulated Maximum Retail Price (MRP), warning that offenders could face court-imposed fines ranging from Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 5 million.A senior CAA official told The Sunday Morning that enforcement operations were underway across the country, with the authority conducting raids and instituting legal action against businesses violating the gazetted price ceilings.“We are conducting raids and filing cases. We are also raising awareness,” the official said.According to the official, penalties vary depending on the type of business involved. A sole proprietorship found violating the stipulated price could face a minimum fine of Rs. 100,000, while the minimum fine applicable to a private limited company is Rs. 500,000. Corporate entities could face penalties of up to Rs. 5 million.The official also clarified that hotels and tourist establishments, including high-end hotels, were not exempt from the gazetted MRP for plastic bottled drinking water.Accordingly, establishments selling such bottled water are required to comply with the stipulated MRP irrespective of the type or category of business.The CAA said that enforcement action had already been taken against establishments in several parts of the country, including restaurants in Haputale, Batticaloa, Jaffna, and Colombo; a bakery in Angunakolapelessa; tourist hotels in Ella and Matara; and a mobile railway canteen operating on the Kankesanthurai-Colombo route.In one of the latest cases, a restaurant in Valaichchenai was fined Rs. 750,000 on Thursday (10) for selling a one-litre bottle of drinking water for Rs. 130 despite its prescribed MRP being Rs. 100.CAA officers had detected the violation during a raid conducted on 4 June. When the case was taken up before the Valaichchenai Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, the establishment pleaded guilty to the charge, following which the court imposed a fine of Rs. 750,000.The CAA urged consumers to report establishments selling plastic bottled drinking water above the stipulated MRP, stressing that compliance with the gazetted price ceiling was mandatory.

Bottled water: CAA steps up raids over overpricing

To mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, the Pathfinder Foundation and the US Embassy in Sri Lanka launched a series of lectures on the legacy of America’s Founding Fathers. The first lecture, ‘The Legacy of Thomas Jefferson on Education and Institutions,’ was held in Colombo on Thursday (10), featuring US Fulbright Specialist Lara Szypszak as the lead speaker and LIRNEasia Senior Research Fellow and Education Forum Sri Lanka Coordinator Dr. Sujata Gamage as a discussant.&nbsp;

Pathfinder, US Embassy mark 250 years of US independence  

The South Asian University (SAU) signed an MOU with the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) to foster research networks, partnerships, and collaborations for transformative change across South Asia. The event was attended by guests including University of Colombo Professor Emeritus of International Relations and RCSS Board member and former Executive Director Prof. Amal Jayawardane; RCSS Executive Director Ravinatha Aryasinha; and RCSS Board member and former Secretary General of SAARC Esala Weerakoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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