Five years of development - Nuwara Eliya district:

Sees the light of day

by P. Krishnaswamy

Some of the major ongoing development projects that were implemented in the Nuwara Eliya district for improving the living conditions of the impoverished plantation community and the rural population include the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project (UKHP), the Gama Neguma Jathika Saviya Program, the Gama Neguma Program and the Second Community Water Supply and Healthcare Project. All these programs were implemented under ‘Mahinda Chintana’ during the last four years.

The district of Nuwara Eliya in an extent of 1774 Sq.Km. has a population of over 735,000, a majority of whom are living in the plantations and the rural areas. The district which has five Divisional Secretary Divisions and 491 Grama Niladhari Divisions is distinctly different from other districts where geological and climatic factors are concerned.

With its picturesque views of rolling mountains, tea plantations, lakes, valleys, waterfalls, meadows and rhododendron woods flanking the roads, it is a paradise just only 180 km or five hours drive from Colombo. Renowned as ‘little England’ the Nuwara Eliya district always attracted tourists and the Government has focused on beautifying the city and its environs.

Tourism is the second largest revenue earner in Nuwara Eliya and an experimental plan to have two other ‘mini seasons’ in addition to the April season was found to be successful. Nuwara Eliya town plans have been mooted for an overhaul of the Nuwara Eliya-Badulla highway at a cost of Rs.5,500 million. In addition the Road Development Authority too has allocated Rs. 132.2 million to supplement 131 road renovation projects. Much headway has been made under the ongoing development programs to improve transport, roads and electricity supply.

The country’s longest tunnel-225 metres-at Ramboda in the Gampola-Nuwara Eliya highway was built at a cost of Rs.2000 million was declared open by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in February 2008. The tunnel which is part of the renovated and expanded road network has helped streamline transportation between Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Colombo and beyond.

The Board of Investment had given approval for investors, including a Hong Kong firm, to set up clothing factories for export, in spite of the European Union’s recent reservations over continuing GSP+ facilities to Sri Lanka.

During the last little over four years, the Government has spent more than Rs. 7.5 million to uplift agriculture and to renovate irrigation facilities in the district. During the period Rs. 32 million has been spent on improving local water facilities in the district and Rs. 2,934 million has been allocated for improving water facilities to townships in the district.

Progress has been made in projects aimed at building 50,000 independent/twin housing units for the plantation workers. New teaching appointments to over 3,000 educated plantation youth were given and a bulk of the beneficiaries are from the Nuwara Eliya district.

Measures were initiated to improve educational facilities to children of the plantation community. State sector employments as Grama Niladharis, postal workers, communication facilitators and other jobs were also given to educated youths of the community.

Already over 70 estate hospitals have been taken over by the Government in an effort to improve the overall health facilities of the plantation workers and the amount spent on such projects during the last four years is Rs. 225 million. For the first time 165 estate youth were trained as nurses in the College of Nursing at Batticaloa.

The ‘Diriya Piyasa’ housing program, the Nuwara Eliya town beautification program, the new Government secretariat building program and other programs to provide better infrastructure and administrative facilities were also introduced during the period. Since the year 2005 the Government has spent over Rs. 3 billion for improving dairy farming in the district in an effort to enhance the income of dairy farmers and to make the country self-sufficient in milk and milk products in the near future.

The Japanese funded Million US Dollar 384 UKHP project which is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2011 is currently providing the local areas with a number of environmental and social benefits. During its operation phase the UKHP will also provide more benefits.

While the local social benefits have been largely confined to the areas around Talawakelle town, Pundalu Oya and Kotmale, the wider benefits of watershed management will extend to the whole of the upper basin. During the operation phase of the project the local business community will be benefited from tourists to the reservoir landscape.

Other infrastructure development facilities including roads, bridges, culverts, electricity, telecommunications and water supply will also be provided to the local community. The UKHP will add 150 MW power to the national grid fulfilling the national requirement of power.

The amounts allocated to the Provincial Council, the local government bodies and other provincial authorities for development related works, including infrastructure development during the years 2007-2008 are as follows, according to the the Development Division of the Nuwara Eliya District Secrtetariat. The provincial Line Ministry was allocated Rs. 958.5 million, the Provincial Council was allocated Rs. 210.4 million, local government bodies were allocated Rs. 358 million, the Statutory Board was allocated Rs. 227 million. Rs. 168.3 million was allocated for special projects. The Housing Development Authority allocated Rs. 7.8 million for 131 housing units.

Rs. 134 million was allocated to the Road Development Authority for 134 projects. Rs. 423.7 million was allocated for PC development projects. Rs. 398.94 million was allocated for Second Community Water Supply project. Rs. 2,933.15 million was allocated for urban water supply projects.

Rs. 5,000 million was allocated for the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Nuwara Eliya. Rs. 113 million was allocated for 3,278 Samurdhi projects.

For the beautification project of the city Rs. 316 million has already been allocated of the total Rs. 525 million.

For the construction of the new District Secretariat building Rs. 406.23 million has been allocated. An amount of Rs. 956 million was allocated for other projects such as rural roads, irrigation, agricultural development, education, water supply, housing, health, electricity, fresh water fisheries, livelihood improvement, community welfare, Maga Neguma etc.

Rs. 192.8 million was allocated for the 386 projects under the First Stage of the Gama Neguma Program (2009) and Rs. 75.8 million was allocated for the 142 projects under the Second Stage.

Rs. 76.4 million was allocated for 104 electricity projects. Rs. 0.348 million was allocated for other special electricity projects. Rs. 48.1 million was allocated for 463 housing units under the Ranaviru Housing Loan Project. Under the decentralised budget Rs. 47.6 million was allocated for 496 projects. Rs.69.4 million was allocated for 14 estate road development projects.

Rs.10 million was allocataed for the 89 special projects of Deputy Minister V. Puththirasigamoney. Rs. 20.4 million was allocated for renovation of 165 Hindu Temples. Rs. 25 million was allocated for 9 development projects in the Talawakelle-Lindula UC area.

The 10 year National Action Plan (2006 -2015) costing a total amount of Rs. 100 billion is the product of a collective effort by a large number of stakeholders who are committed to the well-being of Sri Lanka in general and the plantatoion sector in particular.

The overall goal of action plan is to contribute to poverty reduction and the social and economic development of the plantation community as a priority for the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals under the Mahinda Chintana.