More funds to improve irrigation schemes

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

The Irrigation and Water Management Ministry has embarked on a program to restore tanks under the Dam Safety Program for which Rs. 8 billion have been provided by the World Bank.

The Ministry has also received funds for the rehabilitation of the existing irrigation schemes in the country and has also launched several projects such as Rambaken Oya, Uma Oya and Hunugal Oya which will be completed soon, Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told the Sunday Observer.

The Government has implemented many irrigation development programs. At present the ministry is exploring the possibility of further developing areas such as Nakkala in the Moneragala district and water resources in the country.

In addition, the one-thousand tanks rehabilitation program implemented by the Ministry is also in progress, he said.

"Our aim is to irrigate at least another 100,000 acres of new lands within the next five years," the Minister said.

Meanwhile, the Government has given top priority to improve the irrigation projects in the Northern Province.

The Ministry has already taken steps to augment the capacity of the giant tank in Kilinochchi. The Ministry has launched many development projects to distribute water in the Northern province, he said.