Work on Moragahakanda project to begin soon

by Anura Maitipe

Work on the last phase of the Mahaweli Scheme, "the Moragahakanda and Kaluganga Multi Purpose Project" will commence at a cost of USD 385 million. Construction work on the project will commence on January 25, Minister of Agriculture, Environment, Irrigation and Mahaweli Development, Maithripala Sirisena told the Sunday Observer.

The government has allocated Rs. 50 million for the project and foreign funding has been sought through the External Resources Department (ERD). The donor agency has urged the ERD to submit a detailed plan to release funds, he said.

The Kaluganga River which begins from Knuckles Range in the Matale District will be channelled to the Mahaweli River through underground tunnels. It will generate 20 MW of electricity.

Over 800 families will be evacuated from their ancestral lands in the Matale district following the implementation of this project and these families will be provided with alternative irrigated lands in Minneriya and Kadulla under the Moragahakanda scheme, he said.

With the completion of this project, over 7,000 hectares of land in the North Central, North and East will be converted into irrigated agricultural lands and it would increase the country's agricultural produce by an additional 17 per cent, he said.