The Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe - Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply

¶ 01 Hon. Member, there is a lack of clarity in your question—a mix-up. I must respond, though I cannot give a full answer; let us see how to obtain the complete information.

¶ 02 The Dry Zone Urban Water and Sanitation Project was implemented by the Asian Development Bank under loan assistance, started in 2012 and completed in 2016, to improve water supply and sanitation in Mannar. Under it, the NWSDB constructed a septage treatment plant of 28 cubic metres per day and handed it over to the Urban Council in 2015 along with suction trucks. Public toilets were also built and handed over for maintenance.

¶ 03 We inquired on 21.10.2025 from the Urban Council. The NWSDB has informed that the septage treatment facility and public toilet systems are currently operational.

¶ 04 The project activities within the DZUWSP were completed within the loan envelope. Thus, that project was not obstructed by anyone. However, I believe you are referring to a different, adjacent Solid Waste Management Project linked to the Urban Council’s wastewater system—this is the project that has been halted on legal grounds. It was not an NWSDB project and does not fall under this Ministry. Therefore, questions on its present status should be posed to the Urban Council.

¶ 05 Since your question conflates the NWSDB-implemented DZUWSP (which is functioning) with another halted project not under this Ministry, that is the confusion here, Hon. Member.