The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) is expediting civil works on the Nikawewa Bodagama Water Supply Project in Monaragala's Thanamalwila divisional secretariat division, bringing safe pipe-borne water to water-scarce communities. Thanamalwila and surrounding dry-zone settlements have long faced severe drinking water shortages during dry season months, relying on shallow wells susceptible to high salinity and groundwater contamination. The Nikawewa Bodagama project draws raw water from the Kirindi Oya basin, purifying it through a new 5,000 cubic meter per day treatment facility equipped with rapid sand filtration and chlorination systems. Contractors are laying over 65 km of main distribution pipelines and constructing a high-capacity elevated water tower at Bodagama to supply 18,000 residents across 14 rural village divisions. Local health authorities highlighted that extending clean piped water will significantly reduce waterborne illnesses and alleviate the daily burden on rural families who previously spent hours fetching water from distant rivers.