WORLD KIDNEY DAY – By Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne
Navy’s efforts to eradicate Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) from North central and North western Provinces
- today our Navy’s indigenous technology provide more than Ten million liters of clean drinking / cooking water DAILY to General Public FREE .
- Small project Navy started on 22nd December 2015 providing great results today.
- 1086 Reverse Osmosis ( RO) Water purification plants installed to date – each plant producing 10,000 liters of clean drinking water – better quantity than bottled water.
- Project continued for 10 years under seven Navy Commanders highlights important of “INSTITUTIONALIZING” a worthy project.
First two RO plants opening on 22nd December 2015 at Kadawath Rambewa and Poonawa
1086th RO plant opening at Nakawathatagama Junior School, Kurunagala funded by Good and Sunshine Holding PLC Ltd.
What you see on above map is RO water purification plants installed by SLN.
Sri Lanka Navy is famous for their improvisations and innovations during internal conflict against LTTE terrorists out at sea. The Research and Development Institute of SLN started to use their knowledge and expertise for “Nation Building “ when conflict was over in May 2009.
On request of then Navy Commander, R and D unit of SLN, under able command of Commander (then) MCP Dissanayake, Indian trained Marine Engineer, embarked on a program to build a low- cost RO plant. The Chronic Kidney Disease was spreading in North Central province like a “ wildfire “ in 2015, mainly due to consumption of contaminated water. To curb the situation, providing clean drinking and cooking water to general public was dare need of the hour.
Navy had a non public fund known as “ Naval Social Responsibility Fund “ (NSR) started by former Navy Commander Admiral DWAS Dissanayake started in 2010, to which all officers and sailors contributed thirty rupees ( Rs 30/-) each month. This money was used to manufacture another project- manufacturing medicine infusion pumps for Thalassemia patients.
Thalassemia Medicine Infusion pumps manufactured by SLN R and D Unit
With appropriately 50,000 strong Navy, this fund used to gain approximately Rupees 1.5 million each month- sufficient funds to start RO water purification plant project.
Studies in to spreading of CKD, it was very clear of danger the people of North central and North Western provinces, specially among farmers, in this rice producing province.
The detailed studies on this deadly disease by team led by Medical experts produced above map indicating clear and present danger. Humble farmers in “ Rice Bowl “ of Sri Lanka becoming victims of CDK and suffer for years with frequent Dialysis Treatments at hospitals and becoming very weak and unable work in their fields.
Navy took ten years to complete the project, under seven Navy Commanders, namely Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne, Admiral Travis Sinniah, Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe, Admiral Piyal De Silva, Admiral Nishantha Ulugethenna, Admila Priyantha Perera, present Navy Commander Kanchana Banagoda. Project total cost approximately 1260 million (1.260 billion) rupees. Main contributor to project was Presidential Task Force to Eradicate CDK (under then President Mitreepala Sirisena), Naval Social Responsibility Fund, MTV Gammedda, individual local and foreign donors and various organizations. Their contributions are for a very worthy cause to save lives of innocent people.
Our Navy’s untiring effort showed the World what they are capable of. Navy is a silent force. What they do out at sea has seen only few. This great effort by the Navy also noticed few but appreciated by humble people who are benefited every day to be away from deadly CKD.
Reverse Osmosis process required power. Each plant consumes approximately Rs 11500/- worth power from main grid monthly. This amount brought down to affordable Rs 250/- per month electricity bill by fixing solar panel to RO plant building roofs.
Another project, to fix medical RO plants to hospitals having Dialysismachines. SLN produced fifty medical RO plants and distributed among hospitals with DialysisMachines. Cost for each unit was Rs 1.5 million, where an imported plant would have cost 13 million rupees each.
Statue of King Mahasen (277 to 304 BC)
Commodore (E) MCP Dissanayake won the prize for best research paper in KDU international Research Conference 2021 for his research paper to enhance RO plant recovery from 50% to 75%. He will start this modification to RO plants soon making them more efficient. Clean drinking water is precious for mankind. Our Navy has realized it very well.
In our history, King Dutugemunu (regained from 161 BC to 137 BC), United the country after 40 years and developed agriculture and Buddhism. But King Dutugemunu was never considered as a god or deified.
However, King Mahasen (277 to 304 AD) who built more than 16 major tanks was considered as a God after building the Minneriya tank. (Minneriya Deviyo).
Navy can be proud as already people in North Central Province has highest gratitude to Navy for providing clean drinking and cooking water to them free daily. That gratitude is for saving them and their children from deadly CKD.
Well done Our Navy ! Bravo Zulu !
