Protecting the Valukkai Aru, which is indispensable for the protection of groundwater in Jaffna, has become a necessity of the time. The Northern Provincial Administration will extend its full cooperation to implement the findings of the study being conducted under the “Water Security through Participatory Action Research” (WASPAR) project in this regard, assured the Governor of the Northern Province, Hon. N. Vethanayahan.
A special consultation meeting with people’s representatives of local authorities was held today – on Saturday 06 December 2025, at the M.M. Hall in Chunnakam, as part of the study on the Valukkai Aru under the “Water Security through Participatory Action Research” (WASPAR) project in the Northern Province.
Inaugurating the event and delivering the keynote address, the Hon. Governor stated the above. He further remarked:
Climate change has now become a major threat across the world. In recent times, we are experiencing unprecedented disasters, torrential rain pouring down in one month, followed by crippling drought the very next month. Instead of simply calling this “the wrath of nature” and moving on, it is better to understand it as the consequence of our own failure to manage nature properly. There is no point in complaining that floodwater enters our homes after we ourselves have blocked the natural pathways through which rainwater flow. The primary reason for many of today’s disasters is that natural drainage channels like the Valukkai Aru have become silted, encroached upon, and lie neglected without maintenance.
The Jaffna Peninsula is an island region. Although we have no rivers, we do have natural drainage systems like the Valukkai Aru that carry rainwater to the sea while simultaneously recharging groundwater. It stretches from Mayiliddy to Aralithurai. Only if the Valukkai Aru is properly maintained, the wells in the Valikamam area yield water and saltwater intrusion be prevented. Moreover, for Valikamam and surrounding areas to remain free from flooding during heavy rains, this river must flow without obstruction.
The World Bank-funded tank desilting programme will be carried out next year. During this process, ponds located in the Valukkai Aru bed will also be desilted.
In the past, there was a practice of storing rainwater inside homes. But today, we have completely concreted around our houses, preventing rainwater from percolating into the ground. Recognizing that groundwater is the sole source for both drinking water and agriculture in Jaffna, protecting the quantity and quality of our water is the responsibility of every one of us.
Engineers will draw plans and researchers will conduct studies, but it is you, the people’s representatives, who must take these efforts to the public. The success of this project lies in your hands. Therefore, I urge you to clearly explain to the people in your areas the importance of the Valukkai Aru.
Many participated in the event, including Hon. Chairmen and members of local authorities, engineers, the field experts, heads of departments, and members of the public.
