JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY News FROM Sri Lanka May – august 2015 • NuMBER 5 • SRI LaNKa E02 Expands Outreach and Services with JICA Assistance Sri Lanka Streamlines Weather Tracking JICA Volunteer Contributes to Develop Palmyra Products INSIDE E02 Expands Outreach and Services with JICA Assistance Pages–1 & 2 Water for the Needy at Beruwala Page–3 Outer Circular Expressway – Phase II – final touches in progress Replanting Coconut to Regain Rural Livelihoods The Kaduwela to Kadawatha section of capital, an additional interchange Page–4 Colombo Outer Circular Expressway was constructed subsequently in JICA’s Role in the (E02) is the latest transport sector Athurugiriya. Environmental Sector in project financed by JICA towards Sri Lanka The Outer Circular Expressway Pages–5 & 6 enhancing economic development of Sri Lanka Streamlines Sri Lanka. JICA provided financing extends the Southern Expressway Weather Tracking for both the Kottawa-Kaduwela and (E01) northwards from Kottawa Pages–7 & 8 Kaduwela-Kadawatha sections of Interchange. The E02 will also Achievements of Two 20 Year-old JICA Projects the E02 toll expressway. The Road allow vehicle speed up to 100km/h, Page–9 similar to E01, of which 66km Development Authority under the JICA Volunteer Ministry of University Education were financed by JICA. Once the Contributes to Develop 3rd section from Kaduwela to Palmyrah Products and Highways implements the Outer Page–10 Kerawalapitiya is completed, the Circular Expressway project. JICA Issues Landslide Outer Circular Expressway will link Mitigation Project The first section of E02 was opened Southern Expressway and Colombo Review to the public earlier with a major Katunayake Expressway. It will Helping Hands interchange at Kottawa and a then act as a North-South artery for the Disabled in Anuradhapura and temporary interchange at Kaduwela for Colombo bypassing the inner Ratnapura east (Kotalawala), which is now part city area, thereby easing traffic Page–11 of the main Kaduwela interchange. congestion in the city. Fun and Learning at JICA Children’s Day In order to provide better access Page–12 to the expanding administrative contd. page 2 Project News May – august 2015 • NuMBER 5 • SRI LaNKa Page 2 freight transportation to and from JICA IN THE these zones. In order to enhance the expressway MEDIA use and operation, JICA also Shaken,shocked but safe provided grant assistance to Sunday Observer 5/3/2015 establish Intelligent Transport System (ITS) facilities on the Cabinet Decisions -Project expressway network. The 940 for the developmentof the Bandaranaike International Outer Circular Expressway – Phase II million JPY worth grant included Airport- stage II consists of viaducts in the flood-prone traffic counters and rain gauges for Dinamina areas data collection, traffic monitoring 5/29/2015 and control center for data Second phase of Outer Circular To construct the section from monitoring and management, Highway to open on June 20 Kaduwela to Kadawatha, JICA and Variable Message Signboards Dinamina 6/3/2015 provided concessionary loans to (VMS) at roadside and access roads the value of JPY 37,406 million for information dissemination. 27,400 Million Japanese aid under Special Terms for Economic These facilities are now operational for Development of Power Partnership with an interest rate of Transmission Network between Kaduwela and Godagama. Dinamina 0.2% and 40-year repayment period. 6/24/2015 This section includes 8.9km of In addition to financing nearly 4-lane expressway, two interchanges 50% share of the operational Japan provides Human Resource Development (Kaduwela and Kadawatha) expressways in Sri Lanka, JICA Scholarships for Sri Lankan including toll plazas and facilities, is also financing the second new public sector and a 6-lane expressway bridge Kelani Bridge for easing congestion Daily FT 7/24/2015 across Kelani River in Kaduwela. The at Peliyagoda, the northern entry 2 outer lanes of the bridge have been point to Colombo city. JICA’s Upper Kotmale Hydro project: designed to be accessible to traffic recent assistance to transport JICA’s value addition benefits infrastructure at Talawakelle outside the expressway, as a further sector in Sri Lanka include Sunday Island measure of easing congestion on the technical cooperation to formulate 7/26/2015 Kaduwela bridge upstream. Located the urban transport master plan National Transmission and in close proximity to Biyagama EPZ for Colombo metropolitan area Distribution Network and and Sapugaskanda Industrial zone, and feasibility study for monorail Efficiency Improvement the E02 is also expected to improve system. Project Colombopost.net 8/11/2015 New Bridge over Kelani River Dinamina 8/28/2015 CALENDAR September – December October JCC of FORWARD Project 27/2 JOCV Batch arrivals Third Country Training Programme for CQI & TQM November Young Leaders Programme in Japan - 17 participants ITS control center in Gelanigama Project News MAy – AUGUST 2015 • NUMBER 5 • SRI LANKA Page 3 Water for the Needy at Beruwala JICA will provide Rs. 108 Mn grant to Sri Lanka to construct a 2,000 cum pre- stressed concrete ground reservoir at Beruwala, as a pilot demonstration project for the National Water Supply and Drainage Board. This is the first time that the construction of the pre-stressed tank with the air dome is being undertaken in Sri Lanka, although it is common in Japan. They are quick to construct, uses minimum land, is cost effective and are highly durable. The construction of the tank is An example of a pre-stressed concrete tank under construction. expected to be completed within Kogyo Co. Ltd., Japan and KDA (NWSDB) Senior managers a six months period. The project Weerasinge & Co (Pvt) Ltd., Sri Eng. D.U. Sumanasekara, Addl. will ensure technology transfer Lanka for the construction of GM (Water Supply Projects), by providing training in Japan 2000m3 capacity pre-stressed Eng. T.W.S. Perera, Deputy to engineers of the Water Board concrete ground reservoir General Manager (RSC - so that they can design and at Beruwala. The Japan Western South) and Eng. construct PC tanks with the air international cooperation M.M. Umar Lebbe, Assistant dome technology in future. agency (JICA) Sri Lanka office General Manager (Japanese Representative Mr. Yusuke Project Unit) participated in The Contract agreement was Shinozaki, National Water the contract agreement signing signed between Abe Nikko Supply & Drainage Board ceremony. Project Area: Beruwala, Aluthgama and Bentota coastal towns in the Kalutara district of the Western Province. Project Benefits: About 192,000 residents of Beruwala, Aluthgama and Bentota will receive 24/7 supply of pipe born safe water with 15,000 new connections. Issue to be Addressed: currently only 17,000 consumers can receive pipe born water supply/per day: Beruwala: 12 hrs; Aluthgama: 4 hrs; Bentota: Few hours on alternate days . Dug wells are saline and existing wells are located close to septic tanks. The Need: To increase the current storage capacity of 1350m3 at Beruwala by additional 2000m3 Project News MAy – AUGUST 2015 • NUMBER 5 • SRI LANKA Page 4 Replanting Coconut to Regain Rural Livelihoods JICA Project rehabilitates the North the factory. Coconut oil with its regained place in the market is a much-valued commodity used not only for cooking but also in cosmetics. It is a nourishing hair oil used daily by Sri Lankans, who attribute many health- giving qualities to it. From time immemorial coconuts have been part of the Sri Lankan lifestyle. It is used daily in food preparation with its milk in curries, the scraped coconut in salads, chutneys and sweets, the oil in frying and the husks in the fireplace. Sri Lankans have made use of every part of the tree for domestic as Coconut trees are such as construction of well as industrial use. The dried multifunctional and a agriculture wells in addition leaves are woven and used in sustainable food crop with many to the provision of coconut thatching roofs of rural houses uses for every part of the tree. seedlings, papaya plants, etc. and the production of coir rope The decades of war decimated for cultivation. from the fibre of coconut husks this much used tree that grew is a cottage industry. The flower in plenty on the rich arable JICA has established a buds grace many religious and lands in Northern Sri Lanka. As coconut oil processing celebrative occasions and an a major component of JICA’s factory in Iranapalai in the endless stream of products and Rural Livelihood Development Puthukkudiyiruppu area. The artifacts are produced from Project, replanting of women of the district have been every part of the tree. coconut trees commenced trained to use the machinery in in Puthukkudiyiruppu in the Mullaitivu district in 2012. The aim is to ensure sustainable livelihoods for the resettled farmer families in the emerging Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts. JICA is one of the major partners for resettlement and rehabilitation of conflict areas in Sri Lanka. This five year technical cooperation project includes many components Project News MAy – AUGUST 2015 • NUMBER 5 • SRI LANKA Page 5 JICA’s Role in the Environmental Sector in Sri Lanka JICA’s focus on environmental issues has become more intense recently, in parallel with the increasing challenges to the environment brought about by climate change. Over the last few decades, JICA has intervened on various occasions to support the Government of Sri Lanka’s initiatives to safeguard the environment. A strong advocate of sustainable development