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| Sunday, 5 June 2005 |
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PM to inaugurate Menik Ganga Project by Deepal Warnakulasuriya The Menik Ganga project benefiting the farmer community of Lunugamvehera scheme, both Lunugamvehera and Yala National Parks and the people in Kataragama and Thanamalvila will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Deputy Minister Nihal Galappaththi and several distinguished invitees at Lunugamvehera Mulgal Junction in Hambantota District on June 6 (tomorrow) at 10.00 a.m. The Menik Ganga Project is the largest irrigation scheme initiated within the last two decades reviving the national agricultural economy by strengthening the lifestyle of country's farmer community. The diversion of Menik Ganga waters to Lunugamvehera under the project was prioritised by the United People's Freedom Alliance Government realising the annual recurrence of water shortage to the Lunugamvehera, Kataragama and Thanamalwila areas. According to Irrigation Ministry sources the construction work on the project is due to be completed by June 2007 and the plan has been drawn up eliminating all unnecessary expenses. The project has been estimated to cost Rs. 1,822 million a considerable reduction which the previous regime had estimated at Rs. 4,000 million. The Government has planned to strengthen the income levels of the farmer community with the augmentation of the Lunugamvehera Reservoir. The proposed project will improve and develop the economic conditions of the buffer zone community of the Lunugamvehera Wild Life Reserve. The Menik Ganga originating in the Southern slopes of the Passara mountain range has a total length of about 112 kilometres. It is also one of the major rivers which covers over 1000 sq kilometres of catchment area. It drains a total basin area of over 1300 sq kilometres and discharges about 279 MCM of water to the sea at Yala annually. Almost 85 per cent of the Menik Ganga basin lies in the flat terrain of the dry and intermediate zones and the rest lies in the wet zone which comprises the steep mountainous territory of the upper reaches of the valley located to the north of the Wellawaya-Monaragala road. Ministry sources also revealed that the project would provide domestic water needs of Kataragama town as well as part of Monaragala. It will also ensure irrigation water to 200 hectares of lands under Gal-Amuna Anicut scheme in left bank, 270 hectares of lands under Hangun Ara Anicut scheme and Gestupana Tank cascade in right Bank of Menik Ganga. According to the environmental report the project would also provide a better habitat for the elephants in the region. The project also includes rehabilitation work of six minor tanks inside the Lunugamvehera park ensuring the water availability during drought periods. Meanwhile, the project has also identified a road network within the Lunugamvehera Park to facilitate easy access to remote parts of the park for tourists and to wildlife officers for better supervision. |
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