One of the major issues faced by the estate communities of the Nuwara Eliya district is access to safe and clean drinking water. As a response to this issue, the Assisting Communities in Creating Environmental and Nutritional Development (ACCEND) project is constructing improved gravity fed-water systems (IGFWS) in 20 estates of the Ambagamuwa Divisional Secretariat. This activity is carried out through the joint contribution and support of the estate management and the communities.
Earlier in February the project completed and ceremoniously handed over two water systems to the communities of the Gouravilla B and Blairavan estate divisions. This intervention is intended to supply clean drinking water to 170 families in both estate divisions altogether. The handing over ceremony was graced by Ms. Mohana Rani (NGO Coordinator of the Ambagamuwa Divisional Secretariat), Mr. Wasantha Gunewardena (Regional General Manager of Horana Plantation PLC), the management of the estates, people from the communities, and project representatives from ADRA and Oxfam.
The ACCEND project is a project initiated to improve water, sanitation, hygiene, health, and nutrition in the most vulnerable estate and rural communities of the Nuwara Eliya, Matale, and Monaragala districts of Sri Lanka. In addition, gender and disaster risk reduction are woven across all project activities as cross-cutting themes. The project is funded by European Union, in collaboration with the government of Sri Lanka and is jointly implemented by ADRA and Oxfam.
