• Concern over adequacy of local expertise

Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti yesterday (31 August) opined that if the technical expertise available in the country is insufficient to resolve the issues caused by the irregular construction of the salinity barrier on the Nilwala River in Matara, the Government will seek foreign assistance to find a permanent solution.

The minister made these remarks during a recent visit to the site. The barrier, originally built to address drinking water shortages in Matara, has not worked as intended allegedly due to substandard construction.

As a result, residents on either side of the river are facing many hardships. This is due to the National Water Supply and Drainage Board’s (NWSDB) decision to limit water supply to some areas because of the drought and saltwater intrusion into the river.

However, as the Chairperson of the Matara District Coordinating Committee, the minister’s attention had been directed to this issue. To prevent saltwater from mixing with the river, authorities have decided to temporarily block nearby side canals using sandbags.

Starting from last Saturday, officers from the Matara Disaster Management Centre and soldiers from the 9th Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment began placing sandbags at the site under the supervision of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) as a preventive measure.