Water treatment equipment to supply drinking water.

The number of kidney patients being reported from the areas like North Western, Eastern, Northern and North Central Provinces of Sri Lanka are increasing day by day. Having many contamination including heavy metal and chemical particles in the water they consume have been identified as the main cause for this situation. Many reasons for this contamination of water have been discussed in the recent past and the usage of pesticides and agrochemicals without a proper standard has been surfaced as a major contributing factor. While examining the root causes, the Dharma Vijaya Foundation commenced a program to provide clean water for those affected for their cooking and drinking needs. That project included the establishing of water purification centers and providing a 20,000 liter water tank for every two houses affected.

Establishing water purification centers : To provide clean water for about 200 – 300 families in a village, Dharma Vijaya Foundation has embarked on a project to establish a purification unit that works with electricity in the common places such as temples, schools or community centers.

One such unit comprises a permanent building, purification machine, water tank, pumps and a well for the supply of water. The center that works with electricity is managed by an appropriate society. Dharma Vijaya Society takes that responsibility and sometimes supported by the armed forces for technical support including removing the filters periodically.

Out of the centers established by the Foundation, the prime one is situated at Makichchawa, Medirigiriya. An approximate cost for the center was about Rs.1.5 Million.

Based on the geographical factors, the cost may vary but the experience of the Foundation is that the cost for an establishing a center is about Rs.1.3 Million. This program was conducted in the past with the financial support received from many merit loving people. In addition, money from the Foundation too was used for this project. The merits derived from this project cannot be valued as at least 1,000 people (250 families x 4 in a family) are provided with proper drinking water which is a basic human need.

To cure a patient with a kidney problem, a new kidney has to be transplanted. If a proper matching kidney is unable to find on time, those patients die. The cost of that process is too high. And the patient has to live on medicine for the rest of the life. If the patient has to go through a dialysis process, the cost is about Rs.15,000 per event and that has to be continued. If one member in a family suffers from a kidney disease, the entire economy of the family collapses. The only remedy to save them from this catastrophe is to provide them pure drinking water.