South Asian Student Conference on ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’ today

The South Asian Student Conference on ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’ will be inaugurated today, 16 June, at 10 a.m. at Ape Gama premises at Pelawatte, Battaramulla. President Maithripala Sirisena will be the Chief Guest and Minister Rauff Hakeem will preside. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be the Chief Guest on the second day of the Conference (17).

This conference is organised by the Ministry of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage and the Ministry of Education in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine and State Ministry of Education. A total of 400 students selected out of all the nine provinces of Sri Lanka from ages 14-18 will participate in this event as the core group with wider audience including policymakers, professionals, students, teachers, international stakeholders and media. In addition, 19 foreign students and seven chaperones from SAARC countries will participate.

Meanwhile, 100 adult observers who are water sanitation and hygiene sector professionals from both governmental and non-governmental entities, academia, administrative sector, final year university students, media, etc. will observe the students’ progress throughout the conference while giving feedback for improvement, only if it becomes necessary.

Ministers Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and Gayantha Karunathilleke, Deputy Minister Dunesh Gankanda and State Minister P. Radhakrishnan too will participate at the conference.

This conference will pave the way to bring in many aspects for discussion related to drinking water such as water safety, water treatment, adequate consumption, conservation, economic value, environmental aspects, climate change water related norms from students’ point of view.

Eng. Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage has made all necessary arrangements to make this conference a success.