Brandix, Gap Inc & WRB to establish a Rs. 21 million Laboratory & Training Facility on Water Conservation & Management

Brandix Lanka, Sri Lanka’s largest exporter and US apparel giant Gap Inc. together with the Water Resources Board [WRB] is to establish a training facility and laboratory in Anuradhapura for Water Conservation and Management. The laying of the foundation stone for the facility took place on 22 March coinciding with World Water day. The objective of this project is to further the Brandix commitment to ensuring “the sustainable usage of water and improving the availability and quality of drinking water in Sri Lanka”.

According to research conducted by the WRB and the University of Peradeniya, it has been proven that the effects of consuming contaminated drinking water have resulted in dental fluorosis, chronic renal failure as well as other health hazards. “Research has shown that the high fluoride level caused by the mineral Mica that is present in the water in the dry zones is the cause of dental fluorosis which is prevalent in endemic proportions among rural children in 7 of the country’s 22 districts, where 55% to 70% of children are affected.  Chronic renal failure resulting in death which is caused by the high levels of fluoride as well as natural and man made contaminants such as agro chemicals as well as the effects of contamination resulting in the use of inferior quality aluminium pots are all prevalent and are on the increase in the dry zone” said Chairman WRB, Vasantha Senanayake, speaking on the occasion.

The Brandix-WRB Laboratory and Training Centre aims to reduce the trend of health disease caused by contaminated drinking water. To this end it will conduct training programmes to educate and train rural youth on the effects of consuming contaminated water, the use of cost effective purification and filtration techniques, as well as to train them to manufacture effective, low cost household water purification filters using locally available raw materials. It is envisaged that once fully operational this Centre will train around 80 – 100 persons a month. The laboratory will have the capacity to test 150 samples of water per month.

Speaking on the occasion, Shamilka Samarasinghe, Manager – Corporate Social Responsibility said that once operational the Centre’s scope would initially encompass about 10% to 15% of the households  that is approximately 13,000 households in the North Central Province. “We anticipate that once awareness is created as a result of the initial activity of this project it will attract further funding which will enable us to expand the scope and reach of the Centre’s activities” added Ms. Samarasinghe.  The Centre is scheduled to be completed by July 2006. 
This Centre will be managed by the WRB with a senior hydro geologist who will be responsible for the overall management of the laboratory and training centre, along with a steering committee comprising the Chairman and General Manager of the WRB, a senior lecturer of the Geology Department of the University of Peradeniya and representatives from Brandix.

The capital cost of the Centre of Rs 21 million will be borne by Brandix Lanka and GAP Inc, USA. Gap Inc. is one of the world’s largest specialty retailers and the single largest apparel buyer out of Sri Lanka. The government of Sri Lanka has allocated Rs 3 million annually for the first 2 years towards the maintenance of the facilities.

The running costs will be borne jointly by Brandix, the Government as well as other non-governmental and corporate sponsors in the short-term. Over and above the services provided to the community the long-term objective is that the laboratory, research and training services are extended to the private sector with a view of becoming a self-sustaining entity. It is envisaged that this Centre will become a model that could be replicated in other parts of the island.

22nd March, 2006