"Give Them Water"

There are nearly 120 families in the small Kudabellankadawala village located in Thambuttegama Divisional Secretariat division of Rajarata region, which supplies rice to the country. It is known as the "Granary of the East". The people of this area are mainly engaged in farming and casual daily wage labour. Although this area is populated with tank embankments and wells, the people of this village have to travel about 7km to find clean drinking water because government officials had cautioned the residents to not consume water from local wells as the water is not suitable for consumption. Their other option is to purchase water from water bowsers who visit the village periodically at exorbitant rates.

The villagers reported 35 cases of kidney disease that have been reported in this village due to the high acidity of the water in this agricultural area and the presence of toxic chemicals. This problem was brought to the attention of the Gammadda team when they participated in an observation trip to this area under the Gammadda Door to Door needs assessment survey in 2022.

Recognizing the urgency of this problem, the Gammadda team laid the foundation stone for a clean drinking water project on the 5th of August 2023, making the dream of providing clean drinking water to the people of Kudabellankadawala a reality.

The project will consist of a well, a water treatment plant, a water storage and a distribution point. The well will be drilled in an area with abundant groundwater. The water treatment plant will be equipped with state-of-the-art filters that will remove impurities and bacteria. The distribution system will be located in a central location in the village- accessible to all.

This project was made possible thanks to the kind contribution of a benevolent philanthropist who is close to Gammadda.