Water crisis at Biyagama investment zone : Investors leave!

Due to the shortage in water supply to the Biyagama Free Trade Zone since the beginning of this year, the industries which consume large quantities of water for their production purposes are facing dire difficulties, it is reported.

The investment zone and the Water Board provide the water to this zone.

Therefore, the industries which require large and uninterrupted supply of water are facing great difficulties, a director of one such company told Sri Lanka Mirror.

In order to meet their targets, some of these factories have to work day and night, but sometimes towards the early morning hours, the ware supply is stalled causing much inconvenience to them.

Under such circumstances these companies are forced to obtain water bowsers to meet their requirements, which in turn reduces their profit margins.

A water bowser of 13,500 litres costs around Rs. 12,000 and accordingly it costs them around Rs. 200 per unit.

However, if water is supplied through the regular supply line, the cost per unit is less than a rupee.

One such company at the Biyagama Investment Zone had spent a colossal Rs. 55 million last month alone on water bowsers, it is reported.

As a result of this situation, such companies established at the Biyagama Investment Zone are focussing their attention on shifting their factories to other countries in the region.