A programme will be launched to provide treated water for villagers in kidney disease prone areas in the North Central Province. The water supply will be confined to drinking and cooking. The National Water Supply and Drainage Board will implement the project under the instructions of Minister Dinesh Gunawardane. NWSDB North Central Deputy General Manager S B Dissanayake said priority will be given to the residents of Kebithigollewa, Padaviya, Medawachchiya, Rambewa, Mahawilachchiya, Hingurakgoda, Elahera and Dimbulagala Divisional Secretariat Divisions. "Chronic kidney diseases are an unsolved problem. Those who are sufferings are expecting the support of the lending hands to overcome the menace. The recent reports of the World Health Organization said the main cause of the kidney ailment is arsenic in drinking water. It has been decided to provide needy villages with treated water using a few methodologies such as continuous bowser supply, rain water harvesting, advanced treatment and distribution and NWSDB scheme extensions", the Deputy General Manager said. He said charitable individuals, organizations and companies have offered assistance in this regard. Ekanayake said lending hands are invited to implement water supply projects as financial scarcity is one of the major problems for the progress of the programme implementation. He said the ministry has allocated Rs 100 million to solve the problem.