THE RURAL INHABITANTS OF A remote village in the Ratnapua district of Sri Lanka have started to build a hydro project under the small scale hydroelectric power programme mooted by chief minister, Asoka Jayawardena.

Water from the Gomaragala Ella will be collected in a small manmade reservoir and carried by pipe to a power house in the village. It will provide power to 35 local households.

The World Bank Power Supply Project and the South Asia Technical Assistance Institution financed the project through the Village Electricity Consumers’ Association.

The villagers themselves have already completed the reservoir to collect the water and started laying the pipeline to the power house.