Deduru Oya Project:

Thirty thousand acres to be cultivated in Dry Zone

By P. Krishnaswamy

It is estimated that the Deduru Oya reservoir project will bring 30,000 acres of arable land in the dry zone areas of the province under cultivation and will benefit 50,000 farmer families while contributing the Government's program of food security. The produce of paddy and other highland crops, including vegetables and fruits, is expected to increase many fold with cultivation becoming possible both in the Maha and the Yala seasons contributing to the economic and social benefits of agricultural families. Of the total 900 displaced families, 700 have been resettled in other locations with allotment of land plots of 1/2 acre to 01 acre.

It is a major Irrigation project of the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resource Management to boost agriculture under the Government's vision of achieving self-sufficiency in food while ensuring social and economic well-being of farmers.

A major part of the project has already been completed, with compensation to the tune of Rs. 1,000 ml paid to the 900 displaced families and the 44 km left bund canal to be commissioned in March 2012 , Minister of Irrigation and Water Resource Management Nimal Siripala de Silva paid a visit to the project site recently. Senior Minister S.B.Navinna, PC Ministers, senior officials of the Ministry, senior officials of the Irrigation Department, Divisional Secretaries, Project Officers and a media team also accompanied him on his visit.

The Rs. 6,200 ml project is funded by the Government with no foreign collaboration and the project itself is a dedicated and masterly work of engineers of the Department of Irrigation. They did everything on their own , from conducting the feasibility study to designing all aspects of the project including the construction of the reservoir, canals and spillway. Ninety percent work on the main bund on the left bund sluice, 85 percent work on the right bund sluice and 100 percent of the work on the causeway has already been completed at an expenditure of Rs.1700 ml.

The storage capacity of the reservoir is 75 MCM, the net catchment area is 1400 sq km, the length of the dam is 2.4 km, the full supply level is 70.79 m.MSL, high flood level is 71.32 m. MSL and bund top level is 73.68 m.MSL. Deduru Oya river basin is the sixth largest in Sri Lanka and the 98 km river has three tributaries starting in the hills of Matale as its source. Over 6,000 small tanks in Wariyapola , Hettipola and Kobeigane AGA divisions will also be fed by the irrigation canals of the project.

When commissioned to operate, the right bank canal will also feed the Inginimitiya Reservoir in the Puttalam district.

Under the second stage, which is still under planning, an anicut will be constructed to add water to the Sengaloya river in the Arachchikattuwa AGA division in Puttalam district.