Massive development in Central Province:

Focus for 2011 - livelihood development

By Dhaneshi Yatawara

The Central Province owns 8.6 percent of the country’s total land area. Extended over an area of 5,674 square kilometres, the province is bordered by the North Central Province on the North, by the mountain ranges of Adam’s peak, Kirigalpoththa and Thotupola on the South, Dolosbage and Galagedara mountain ranges on the West and the Mahaweli River and Uma Oya on the East.

The Government development projects which aim at increasing regional contribution to the national economy is taking various measures to effectively use the untapped resources of the Central Province. “ The Central Province will be developed keeping its uniqueness. Special focus will be on improving the road network and minor irrigation schemes as agriculture is a major factor in the regional economy,” said Additional Secretary (Regional Development) of the Economic Development Ministry Nihal Somaweera.

The Economic Development Ministry, under the directives of its Minister Basil Rajapaksa shoulders a major portion of the national development drive. As Somaweera explained a large amount of vegetables in the market are from the hill country, especially from areas like Nuwara Eliya. Thus, upgrading the infrastructure to facilitate the agriculture sector is crucial for the development of the Central Province.

Nearly 70 percent of the Central Province population are of the rural communities while a little above 20 percent is of the estate sector. In this backdrop, the Economic Development Ministry with the intention of strengthening the mass rural community launched 1,572 development programes during this year in the Kandy district alone.

These programs were launched under the Jathika Saviya - Gama Neguma development project. A total of 380 projects were completed and the balance is nearing completion. Under the directives of Minister Basil Rajapaksa the Rural Development Division of the ministry conducts these programs in 15 DS divisions of the district. Work in the other five divisions are supervised by the Upcountry Development Authority.

The Province is comprised of three districts - Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya with 36 DS divisions. Kandy district alone has 1,188 Grama Niladhari divisions.

Agriculture

Concreting rural roads in the Kandy district

The elevation in the Province ranges from 600 feet to over 6,000 feet above sea level in the central hills. The mean temperature ranges from 16 to 28 centigrade in the Province where lower temperatures are recorded in hills in the Nuwara Eliya District. This gives the Province a high climate variation creating favourable environments to cultivate a vast variety of crops. In the Central Province 52 percent of the land is cultivated while another 6.3 percent has been identified as arable lands. Out of the total lands cultivated, more than 35 percent is covered with tea while 14.8 percent is with paddy. The percentage of lands cultivated with coconut and rubber is 4.8 percent and 2.3 percent respectively.

The Government has spent over Rs. 30 million for agricultural development in the Kandy district. The total amount spent by the government to develop the Kandy district, under various administrative bodies during the last four years was around Rs. 21,471 million, according to the Media Centre for Development. Nearly Rs. 60 million was spent for promoting dairy farming during the last four years. The sum spent for agricultural development by the Government in the district in 2009 amounted to approximately Rs. 60 million.

“It is important to pave easy access for the farmers to reach markets to sell their vegetables or other products. It is important if we are to increase the income generation capacity of the rural community,” Somaweera said.

Road development

The Upcountry Development Authority of the Ministry of Economic Development has spent Rs. 300 million for concreting and developing 311 rural roads this year. Road development covers approximately 60 kilometres in total and is carried out in 310 Grama Niladhari Divisions of the Divisional Secretariats of Galagedera, Hataraliyadda, Pujapitiya, Akurana and Harispattuwa in the Kandy district.

Around Rs.46 million was spent for concreting 57 roads in the Hataraliyadda Divisional Secretariat Division, while Rs. 55.19 Million and Rs. 67.37 Million were spent for concreting 58 roads in the Galagedera DS division, and 83 roads in the Harispattuwa D.S.Division respectively. The amount allocated for 57 roads in the Pujapitiya D.S.Division was around Rs.47 million.

For development of 56 roads in the Akurana DS Division Rs. 28.83 Million has been allocated.

Construction of the Colombo-Kandy expressway is another major road development project being implemented by the Government. Preliminary work on the construction of this expressway has already begun.

Costing of Rs. 65,000 million, the project comprises a 100 km, four-lane expressway between Colombo and Kandy, with connection to the Outer Circular Road at Kadawatha.

The total length of the expressway will be 98.9 km and the project will be implemented in two stages within four years.

The designing is by local engineers attached to the Highways Department. The Asian Development Bank has provided a loan of U.S. dollars 500 million for the first stage and construction has commenced under the Department of Highways. The expressway would greatly improve connectivity between the two largest economic urban centres of the country.

The newly constructed 130 meters long Katugastota bridge links the Kandy-Jaffna Road across the Mahaweli River near Kandy Town. The four lane bridge cost approximately Rs. 405 million. Building of a bridge across the Mahaweli river on the Gampola-Nuwara Eliya Road, Getambe bridge on the Getambe-Gannoruwa Road, Katugastota bridge on the Kandy-Jaffna Road, Ulapane bridge on the Ulapane-Pussellawa Road are prime examples of the road development taking place in the Central Province.

The gigantic project on the well known 18 hairpin bended Kandy-Mahiyangana Road commenced in 2008 and the estimated expenditure is Rs. 4,800 million.

During last year the Economic Development Ministry has invested Rs. 905 million on the Kandy district, Rs. 200 million on the Nuwara Eliya district and Rs. 619 million on the Matale district on development activities. These mainly include rural road development projects and repairing and reconstructing minor irrigation projects in the areas.

“In 2011 we will be more focused on livelihood development projects rather than infrastructure development,” Somaweera said.

Yet, as roads and minor irrigation systems play an important role in agriculture the ministry will continue upgrading those wherever necessary.

“We are looking in to the environment conservation aspect as well. Hoping for a better harvest farmers may start cultivating high elevated lands causing major environment havoc.

Working with the farmers we will guide them to achieve a better income through a good harvest without exploiting the environment,” Somaweera added.

“Tourism is another area where there is great potential in the province and will be a good venture for livelihood development.” he said.

Infrastructure developments needs to take place to upgrade tourism in the province and 2011 we plan to achieve this challenge as well,” Somaweera said.