8 July 2025, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. Ms. Yooli Lee, Country Director of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Sri Lanka, officially handed over an upgraded sewerage treatment facility to the Walapane Divisional Hospital in Nuwara Eliya District.

This state-of-the-art sewerage treatment system, constructed at a cost of LKR 27 million (USD 90,000) was funded through the USD 5.5 Mn KOICA project “Strengthening Socioeconomic Resilience of Communities Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka”. This project is being implemented by UN-Habitat Sri Lanka from 2022-2025 in Nuwara Eliya and Badulla districts.

The official handover of the treatment facility was conducted during a monitoring visit by KOICA officials to the Nuwara Eliya District. Ms. Harshini Halangode, Country Programme Manager of UN-Habitat,
Ms.   Yunsoo Jeon, Deputy Country Director of KOICA Sri Lanka Office, Dr. K. P. Mallikarathne, Medical Officer (Planning) from the Office of the Regional Director of Health Services of Nuwara Eliya and senior officers from the hospital administration were also present at the handover event.

When UN-Habitat commenced the project, the Walapane Divisional Hospital had an outdated sewerage treatment system which did not meet the growing requirements of the hospital. A preliminary assessment conducted by UN-Habitat identified several deficiencies including the urgent need to improve wastewater quality and treatment capacity of the hospital while ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.

The construction of the facility began in October 2024, with pro-bono input from the international consultancy firm Arcadis. Support was also provided by the Project Director of Health Services of the Central Province, Regional Director of Health Services – Nuwara Eliya, Walapane Hospital staff, Department of Engineering Services – Central province, and the District Secretary of Nuwara Eliya.

The improved sewerage treatment facility consists of newly constructed sewerage treatment infrastructure; wastewater tanks and ancillary systems; piping and other structural enhancements. The upgraded system has improved wastewater quality, sanitation, and is providing environmental protection to the hospital staff, patients as well as Walapane residents. The new system provides a functional and sustainable sewerage treatment solution to the Walapane Divisional Hospital and is expected to serve over 37,000 beneficiaries. The facility is maintained using recurrent expenditure allocated by the hospital, and an after-sales service agreement has been signed to ensure the system’s continued monitoring and operation.

Discussing the new treatment facility, Dr. K. A. C. J. Jayawardhana, Medical Officer in Charge of the Walapane Divisional Hospital stated. “Effective wastewater management is crucial for preventing infections and maintaining hospital hygiene. Thanks to this project, we are now better equipped to protect public health.”

The improved quality of wastewater and hospital sanitation is expected to significantly improve public and environmental health in the Walapane region. The treated water can now be safely released to the environment or used for agricultural purposes. This sewerage treatment facility is one of the three key interventions aimed at improving sewerage treatment at three hospitals in the Central and Uva Provinces, namely Walapane, Rikillagaskada and Haputale, under the KOCA funded project.