Two farming communities in Veheragala in the Rambawa Divisional Secretariat and Dachchidamana in Medawachchiya were the beneficiaries of the most recent leg of Tokyo Cement Group’s Fountain of Life purified drinking water project. Over a thousand villagers belonging to 268 families in Veheragala, a village situated Northwest of Rambewa, and nearly 200 individuals belonging to 48 families in Dachchidamana off Medawachchiya, who for a very long time were living under the ominous shadow of Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown origin (CKDu) were given access to life-giving clean drinking water, thanks to the Fountain of Life water purification plants installed in each village.
Both these villages were under the severe threat of CKDu with a patient in almost every other household or family, given their position in the farming heartland in the Anuradhapura district in Northcentral Sri Lanka. With the installation of Fountain of Life, each with 5,000 liters and 1500 liters per day water purification capacity, these people will now have access to clean water offering a new lease of life. With the supply of a cumulative capacity of 46,500 liters of purified drinking water per day, Tokyo Cement Group’s ‘Fountain of Life’ project has so far touched the lives of over 4,500 people in Pallankulama, Dachchidamana, Nawakkulama and Siyambalagaswewa; farming villages severely affected by CKDu in Anuradhapura and Veravil, Valaippaadu and Veerapandiyamunai in Kilinochchi.
The two projects in Rambewa and Medawachchiya were declared open by Mr. Dashantha Udawatta – Group Marketing Manager of Tokyo Cement Co. (Lanka) PLC, together with Tokyo Cement distributor for Vavuniya region, Mr. S. Anandaraj of Shanmugam Stores and Tokyo Cement distributor for Anuradhapura region, Mr. T. Mahadevan of North Agencies, representing the company’s dealer network. Signifying the deep impact this project plays in uplifting the lives of this rural agrarian community, the Medawachchiya Divisional Secretary, Mrs. Chandrika Malaviarachchi took part in the humble event organized by the villagers of Dachidamana to unveil the water purification plant.
The Rural Development Department of Northcentral Provincial Council extended their fullest cooperation to execute the project, with support from the rural development society in each village who wholeheartedly welcomed this much needed gift on behalf of their community. The voluntary support of farmer community groups ensures the sustainable upkeep of the water facility for the benefit of many generations to come.
Tokyo Cement Group, having identified the importance of making good-quality drinking water available to eradicate CKDu stepped forward to install water purification plants under the flagship Fountain of Life program. It sets up customised PureHydro® water solutions with Reverse Osmosis (RO) capability, in collaboration with the sister organization St. Anthony’s Hydro Division who contributes with thier technical expertise. The Company will continue to extend the reach of the project during the upcoming months in selected rural villages across the island.
Tokyo Cement is among the leading blue-chip companies that have deployed many social empowerment projects of similar nature, that have a far-reaching impact on the lives of the people of our country. Tokyo Cement Group’s commitment to social responsibility breathes life through these initiatives that successfully integrate social welfare and environmental conservation into its corporate DNA in their vision to become the leading partner in Nation-building.