Navy declares open the 50th Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant
 

Initiating upon a concept of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, 6 more RO plants produced by the Navy’s Research and Development Unit, declared open at Ulhitiya Maha Vidyalaya, Haddaththawa Maha Vidyalaya, Aluyatawela Maha Vidyalaya, Hebarawa Maha Vidyalaya in Mahiyangana and Pahamunegama and Wahalkada Rajamaha Viharaya in Anuradhapura today (7). Along with these 6 RO systems, the Navy had installed a total of 50 Reverse Osmosis facilities to date, facilitating the safe drinking water requirement of 25,215 families and 18,517 school children.

The Navy’s Research and Development Unit managed to install these six facilities in a record time with the financial provision made by the Presidential Task Force on Prevention of Kidney Diseases. Realizing the great need of having more RO systems in areas which are prone to Chronic Interstitial Nephritis, the Navy’s Research and Development Unit has been installing more facilities across the country, in order to fulfil the safe drinking water requirement of people in such areas.

The recently installed facilities possess the capability of providing safe drinking water for 951 school children, 41 teachers of Ulhitiya Maha Vidyalaya and 535 families in the area, 802 school children, 42 teachers of Haddaththawa Maha Vidyalaya and 535 families in the area, 450 school children, 30 teachers of Aluyatawela Maha Vidyalaya and 300 families in the area, 350 school children, 22 teachers of Hebarawa Maha Vidyalaya and 400 families in the area and over 375 families in Thmbuththegama and Pahamunegama areas respectively.

Further, at the directives of Commander of the Navy, Navy’s Research and Development Unit installed the RO plant at Wahalkada Rajamaha Viharaya to support the noble effort of a Buddhist monk of the temple who provide treatment for over 2,000 cancer patients and people with kidney failure, free of charge. As such, the facility enables those patients to obtain safe drinking water as of now.

The safe compartments, in which the RO systems are housed, were constructed by the naval Civil Engineers under the supervision of Commander North Central Naval Area, Rear Admiral Merril Wickramasinghe and Commander South Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sumith Weerasinghe.