Increasing agricultural productivity:

Uma Oya multipurpose development project ready by 2016

By P. Krishnaswamy

One of the access roads to the project area under construction

A main tunnel under construction

Houses constructed at the project site

The Uma Oya river diversion point

Work on the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development project is progressing with 36 percent of the physical work already completed and the hydro-power plant of the project that will generate 120 MW power, as a by-product of this major project, will be connected to the national grid in 2016 to cushion the rising power demand in the country, Project Director Dr.Eng.N.S.K.N.de Silva told the Sunday Observer.

The Iran-funded Rs. 76,316 million project will be commissioned in November 2016 marking another important milestone in the far-reaching plans of the Government towards increasing agricultural productivity to ensure food security of the people.

This will be another unique project that will add to the many other major development-oriented reservoirs, hydro power and irrigation projects undertaken by the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management, the Project Director said. Orders have already been placed for the electro-mechanical equipments, he said.

Puhulpola reservoir, which is one of the two main reservoirs built facilitating diversion of the Uma Oya River, is being built near the 104 km post of Welimada-Badulla Road downstream the town of Welimada. The dam is 45m in height, 210m long and 6m wide. Storage capacity of the reservoir is 18.5 hectares. In the process of diverting water to the reservoir a distance of 1.8 km of the Welimada - Badulla Road will be getting inundated and alternative arrangements are being made to divert the vehicular traffic along some other area, the Project Director said.

The other main reservoir, the Dayaraba reservoir, is at Atampitiya.

The significant feature of this project that will provide irrigation to about 15,000 acres of arable land is that the headrace tunnel is 15.65 km long, the longest ever to be constructed under any major hydro power or reservoirs projects in the country. Its internal diameter is 4.5 metres, the Project Director said.

The project will address the problem of drought annually experienced by the farmers of Moneragala and parts of the Southern province while also providing clean drinking water benefiting a large number of agricultural and others families in the project areas. While increasing agricultural productivity and generating hydro power, the project will also contribute towards providing drinking water to Moneragala and Hambantota districts, livestock and inland fisheries development, increase in water spread area and improvement in ground water table, employment opportunities to several thousands of skilled and unskilled persons , and knowledge transfer of modern technology.

Of the total cost of Rs.76,316 Million, the Export Development Bank of Iran (EDBI) is providing Rs.51,1750 Million, with a grace period of five years , repayment period of 10 years and interest at the rate of LIBOR + 0% which is the lowest interest rate ever in project funding. For the other costs, including Down Stream Development Works in Kirindi Oya basin , the government is providing Rs.15,474 Million.

The Government is providing Rs.9,091 Million for down stream development which include the constructions of new storage reservoirs at Alikota Ara and Kuda Oya, augmentation of the Handapanagala reservoir, network of main and distribution canals (77 km), improvement of 14 minor tanks, development of new lands (4500 ha) and augmentation of existing lands (1,500 ha). This part of the work is being handled by the engineers of the Irrigation Department.

There are several benefits under this project including generation of hydropower, irrigation, provision of drinking water and provision of water for industrial activities. Moneragala district will derive maximum benefits, up to 85 percent , under the project while Badulla and Hambantota districts will derive benefits to a level five percent and 10 percent respectively.

In Hambantota the significant aspect of the project is that water will be provided to the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port, the Oil Refinery and the industrial zones.

The water basin of the Uma River which claims an area of 720 km2 originating from the Piduruthalagala dam is 45m in height, 210m long and 6 m wide. Storage capacity of the reservoir is 18.5 hectares.

By 2020, the irrigation sector will become a key driving force in agricultural development with the supply of water in adequate, equitable and reliable quantities and in a sustainable, efficient and eco-friendly manner.

Throughout the history of Sri Lanka, water has played a key role in development of the country and economic status of its people, and in shaping its culture and the tradition. For more than 2,500 years, our civilization, which developed on the basis of irrigation technology, inherited a legacy of unsurpassed know-how in the technology of building tanks and irrigation canals, it was pointed out.