A Drop of Life to Katukaliyawa Navodagama Village with Assistance of BOC’s Buddhist Association.

Water is life, a normal life cannot be sustained without clean water. It is a known fact that many parts of the North Central Province of the country face the challenge of sourcing clean water for general purposes. The Bank of Ceylon’s Buddhist Association with the objective of increasing access to clean water for drinking and general purposes has initiated a project to build infrastructure for water intake, pumping main, water treatment plant and a distribution network by selecting Katukaliyawa Shri Ranmuthu Vihara grounds as the central point, to fulfill the requirement of the Navodagama community and five other villages in close proximity. The total investment for this comprehensive project was over to Rs. 2.6 Million which was donated by members of the BOC’s Buddhist Association. This CSR initiative is yet another project organized by the Bank’s Buddhist Association to commemorate the Bank’s 80th Anniversary. The official opening of the facility took place at the Katukaliyawa Shri Ranmuthu Temple on Saturday 24th August under the guidance of Chief incumbent of Anuradhapura Shri Sambuddha Jayanthi Viharaya Ven.Nugethanne Pagngna Nandabhidana thero and chief incumbent of Thantrimale Raja Maha Vihara Ven.Thantrimale Chandrarathana Thero and with the patronage of the Bank’s General Manager/ CEO Mr. Senarath Bandara. DGM International, Treasury and Investment Mr. DPK Gunasekara, AGM North Central Province Mr. Ranjith Welikannage, AGM Recovery Corporate Mrs. Nayananganie Gomes, Secretary to the Bank’s Buddhist Association, Mr. WML Weerasekera and many other bank officials were also present for the occasion representing the bank. Divisional secretary of the Mahawillachchiya secretariat Mr.NHR Nishantha, officers representing SL Navy, officers representing Civil Security Force and residents of the area also participated for the ceremony.


Located in the Anuradhapura Mahawilachchiya Divisional Secretariat, Navodagama village has been facing difficulty in obtaining proper drinking water due to lack of infrastructure to obtain a clean water supply and sanitation arrangements. Agriculture being the main source of income for most of the families in the village, it has not seen proper rainfall for over five years, jeopardizing the everyday life of the people. Over three hundred families and almost one thousand five hundred people- men, women and children live in this remote village hoping for a better quality of life. It was said that people had to go at least twelve kilometers in order to collect clean water from a nearby water resource.

The project was carried out in three stages and the Bank was able to obtain the engineering and construction assistance from Sri Lanka Navy. As the first phase, a water pumping system that will pump water from a 100 feet deep well and a water filter room was built in order to pump-up water from an underground aquifer and purify the water through a conventional water treatment system. The second phase focused on building a water distribution system through a tap line that included an additional common water outlet that enables those who go across the village on pilgrimage to have access to clean drinking water. The third phase was focused on providing 18 feet diameter well, that is 35 feet deep and will provide water for agrarian purposes of the area. Commenting on the project, the Bank’s General Manager/ CEO stated that the Bank is proud to be part of this noble act that will improve the health conditions of the resident’s of the area by providing one of the most essential basic needs and empower them to live a normal life and elevate their living conditions.