Water Supply and Drainage Minister, Vasudeva Nanayakkara has instructed the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) to take measures for its Maintenance and Industrial Unit to manufacture the water meters provided to the consumers by the Board.
The Minister has given these instructions while participating in an inspection tour of the Ratmalana Central Machinery of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board.
Nearly 100,000 water meters supplied to ordinary homes and institutions are often found to be inactive and damaged due to various reasons in a single year.
The Ministry pointed out that in such cases, despite the ability to repair the water meters properly, new water meters imported from abroad are often installed.
The Minister instructed to immediately stop this practice and instead procure the necessary equipment locally as much as possible and repair the damaged meters by local technicians for use.
The technicians expressed their satisfaction and appreciation in this regard and said that it was a waste to import new water meters at the expense of foreign exchange despite having the ability locally to repair.
The Minister also instructed the relevant authorities to look into the possibility of manufacturing new water meters in Sri Lanka in the future.
Additional General Manager, Industrial and Engineering Division, Water Supply and Drainage Board, S. G. G. Rajkumar; Deputy General Manager, TMW, Sunil Bandara; Assistant General Manager, E. M. K. Ekanayake and trade union representatives were present at the occasion.
