By M. Sasikumar
Northern Environment and Agriculture Ministry is currently collecting data pertaining to the water contamination issue in Chunnakam. Accordingly, the Valikamam South and North Pradeshiya Sabha officials are directly involved in collecting water samples from contaminated wells in Chunnakam and other areas where the water is contaminated due to an oil leak from the nearest power plant.
This mission is being guided by the Northern Ministry of Environment and Agriculture by distributing forms to the households in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, Jaffna University students are also collecting samples to examine the level of oil in the contaminated well water.
Accordingly, the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) and the government appointed two separate nine-member committees to examine the entire water contamination issue.
Ministry of Disaster Management, John Amaratunge, has ordered the Jaffna District Secretary, Sundaram Arumainayagam, to prepare a map of the affected areas of water contamination in Jaffna, in order to declare the area as ‘Disaster Zone’ through a gazette notification immediately to avoid pollution and oil leak spreading to other areas of the peninsula.
Minister Amaratunge said once the affected areas are studied, ways and means will be organized to provide fresh water to the affected people, until the wells that are affected by oil leak are cleared.