Irrigation facilities for over 30,000 acres of arable land:

Deduru Oya project, a reality soon

By P. Krishnaswamy

Spillway construction

Construction of the main sluice

Construction work in progress

Dam construction work in progress

Finished canal construction

The Rs. 9.5 billion Deduru Oya Reservoir Project, one of the major multi-purpose irrigation and water supply projects in the history of the country is scheduled to be commissioned in November, with the major part of the hydraulic, mechanical and construction work already completed, the Director General of Irrigation Eng. (Ms.) Badra Kamaladasa said.

It is next in line to be commissioned under the Mahinda Chintana concept followed by the many irrigation and water supply projects already completed. The Rs.3,970 million multipurpose Rambakkan Oya Irrigation and Water Supply Project was the last one opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on July 20.

The Deduru Oya agricultural and rural development project will provide irrigation facilities to over 30,000 acres of arable lands in the Wariyapola, Nikaweratiya, Rasnayakepura,Panduwasnuwara, Karuwalwagaswewa, and Kotawehera DS divisions, Project Director Eng B.A.S.Sunil Perera said.

Minister Nima Siripala de Silva and his entourage at the project site

He said, as at June 30 Rs.1,491.1 million has been paid as compensation to land owners on the acquisition of their lands for the construction of the 2.4 km long earth Dam and the Left Bank Main Canal (LBMC). A total of 6,234 lots of lands were acquired for the purpose while a major portion of the lots was state land, he said.

As at May 31, 2013 560 families who were displaced as their lands were inundated under the project have been resettled in Wariyapola, Ganewatte, and Kobeigane DS divisions, The areas selected for resettlement are Radavi Bendi Ela in Karawalagaswewa, Thelhera Farm, Polgammana Estate (Wariyapola), Peterwelly Estate (States I, II and III) in the Ganewatte DS division. The compensation paid represents 91 percent of the total amount, Perera said.

He said, the estimated payment of compensation to the displaced families is Rs.1.8 billion. About 15,000 agricultural families will directly benefit under the project and about 50,000 families will benefit indirectly.

The storage capacity of the reservoir is 75 MCM. Infrastructure facilities for the people of the Maho, Wariyapola Karuwalagaswewa and Ganewaththa Divisional Secretary divisions include road networks, electricity, schools and clean drinking water which will contribute to the improvement of their lifestyle. Everything, beginning from conducting the feasibility study to designing the various components of the reservoir construction, was done by engineers of the Irrigation Department which is a unique achievement of the Sri Lankan engineers.

The main problem hitherto faced by farmers in the Deduru and Mee Oya basins is the non-availability of an assured water supply for the agricultural areas since the basins are situated in the Dry Zone.

The water available from the rainfall and collected in the existing irrigation schemes is not sufficient for a two season cultivation. Seventy percent of the annual rainfall in the Deduru Oya catchment flows to the ocean without being utilised to serve the needs of the local population. As a result an optimal level of agricultural development has not been achieved.

The Deduru Oya Reservoir project, on completion, will resolve all these problems while bringing many benefits.

Perera expressed optimism that paddy cultivation in the Zone will be increased manyfold beginning from the Yala season and the 2013/14 Maha season, with irrigation water to be released for the Left Bank main canal in October , followed by water release for the Right Bank main canal ( up to Kiridigalla) in November. It will consolidate the national plan of food security in the country, he said.

It will attract a tourist flow to the project site and the surrounding settlement areas, he said. The productivity of not only paddy but also other highland crops, including vegetables and fruits, will increase manyfold contributing to the socio-economic betterment of the agricultural families. Families that have already been resettled in other locations have been provided land plots to the extent of half-an-acre to one acre per family.

While work on the construction of the causeway has been completed, the remaining work on the main bund, the left bank sluice, the right bank sluice, and the rip rap/toe/filter/turfing are almost completed, Eng Perera said.

Chief Engineer S.K.Hewagama and other engineers are currently engaged in fixing eight radial gates in the spillway The work on the Maggalla Right Bank extension and 44 km LB canal have almost been completed, while 60 percent of the 33 km Trans Basin Canal has been completed. Up to December 2012 the total amount spent under the project is Rs.6,500 million while another Rs.3,000 million is the estimated expenditure for the completion of the project, the authorities said.