BSL Initiates the Development of an IWRM Plan for the Plantations Sector
Based on a decision made by the Plantations Sector Standing Committee of BSL to prioritize the conservation and efficient management of water resources in plantations, and with the voluntary leadership of Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC (TTEL) to carry out the relevant baseline studies in the organizations’ Kiruwanaganga, Mattakelle and Great Western estates, a field visit was organized recently to scope out the current issues and challenges in this area.
Post discussions held in this regard, to garner the technical support of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) headquartered in Sri Lanka, this scoping visit was carried out on the 15th and 16th of October 2015 with the participation of Dr. Herath Manthrithilake – Head of the Sri Lanka Development Initiative – and Dr. Lal Muthuwatte – Regional Researcher – Hydrological Modelling and Remote Sensing from IWMI, and Mr. Theja Dharmaratne – General Manager HR and Quality Management Development, representing TTEL and the Plantations Sector Standing Committee of BSL.
The findings of the scoping visit will be produced in the form of a report for evaluation of the Plantations Sector Standing Committee, which will then propose necessary steps to be taken in the direction of developing an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) plan for the Plantations Sector which can be adopted and used for application by the Plantations Sector in Sri Lanka currently faced with numerous challenges with respect to water resources and its efficient management.
