Drinking water crisis in Thammita Village
Thammita is an ancient village situated 4km from Gampaha town towards
Ja-ela. The village is spread on a cabook (laterite) hill overlooking the paddy field
called '' Thambavita'' beyond Aththanagalu river. Best known as a king of farming
in Kotte era, prince ''Sakala Kala Wallabha'' has first cultivated the Thambavita
paddy field 550 years ago. Then the farmers began to cultivate in Thambavita fields
might begin to live on Thambavita hill nearby. The first occupants might have seen
the kabook soil shining in copper colour when they exposed the jungle on the hill for
building huts or chena cultivation. This might be the background story behind the
name ''Thambavita''. (Thamba means copper in Sinhala). Thambavita became
Thammita later. Today, It is a populated village.
In ancient villages, temples are built on the highest place but in Thammita the
temple is located in the foot of the hill. This shows the water crisis in Thammita has
a long history.
Although the village originated in Kotte era, the village has been inhabited
rapidly once the Thammita reservoir was constructed After the independence in
1948. Thammita ''old dam'' had been built at low expense according to a plan by
the first prime minister D.S.Senanayaka in Parallel with his agricultural revolution.
Thereafter, during the tenure of first executive president J.R.Jayawardana,
Thammita ''new dam'' has been built stronger by the then minister of irrigation
Gamini Disanayaka. Now, people of 700 families live in this village. They have built
deep wells as well as tube wells on the hill, But these efforts haven't been sufficient
at all for their necessity of water.
During times of droughts, especially when the Tammita dam is opened to
empty the reservoir for paddy harvesting the bottom of Aththanagalu river can be
seen. In line with water level in the river, ground water declines in the village.
Kabook soil doesn't have ability to retain soil water. The wells in the village are gone
dry and water level is dropped below a pump intake. The daily routine of village
residents is completely parallelized and they faced for various difficulties.
The students and teachers in Thammita maha viddyalaya also are severely
inconvenienced by this. Especially, during the drought students practicing for their
school sports meet and the circuit meet face difficulties due to scarcity of drinking
Some residents go to their relatives houses in surrounding villages for
bathing and bring barrels or cans of water for cooking, drinking, washing and
sanitation. According to work, others don't have additional time and money to hire a
lorry daily either. So they buy large number of drinking water bottles in this period.
At the time they are unable to manage their day-to- day activities they leave the
village temporary.
To get a practicle solution for this stressful situation, an appeal with thousand
signatures of village residents has been sent to the president Maithripala Sirisena to
intervene this matter. National water supply and drainage board has laid a main
pipeline from Kadawatha to Makilangamuwa Junction (Rathmalvita road in google
map) and supplies drinking water. Makilangamuwa junction is located 3km close to
Thammita village. In the appeal to the president, the residents have demanded an
extension pipeline to Thammita village from the main water supply pipeline at
Makilangamuwa junction.
Residents in Thammita are hopefully and patiently waiting until the National
water supply and drainage board lays a pipeline and supplies water.
Nayana Kahatapitiya
