Once an impoverished zone in Uva-Wellassa:

Moneragala, a fast developing region

By P. Krishnaswamy

The sparsely-populated Moneragala district that was the pride of ancient Sri Lanka, with its unmatched religious, cultural, educational, agricultural and economic activities under the Ruhuna kingdom but gradually lost its glory and reversed as an impoverished region since the 'Uva-Wellassa Rebellion' of 1817-18, is now gaining momentum as a fast-developing region thanks to the multifarious development projects launched under the 'Mahinda Chintana' concept. The district is bestowed with all nature's gifts - rivers, the Yala, Gal Oya and other natural parks, breathtaking water falls, picturesque mountain ranges, vast areas of agricultural lands, under the Uva-Wellassa, and a very moderate climate.

The newly constructed Kachcheri building for Moneragala.

The Udawatte Bridge in Bibile nearing completion under the rural infrastructure development program.

The new medical clinic centre at Haladuwa in Moneragala, under the rural health and sanitary program.

The new District Hospital, Moneragala.

The Wasanagama Anandagama Drinking Water Project.

The district houses many age-old and most venerated religious shrines, including the Kataragama temple, the ancient Kiri Vehera Buddhist stupa, the Yudaganawa stupa, the Maligawila Buddha statue and the Bodhisattva statue and many rock carvings and archaeological sites.

The Yudaganawa stupa is of great historical value. It is located about 2km from the Buttala town, on the Moneragala-Wellawaya road.

Giving details about some of the important development-oriented projects to be launched in the near future, Moneragala District Secretary A. Pathinathan said that the new Secretariat building for the Moneragala district constructed at a cost of Rs. 578 Mn to deliver a more efficient service to the public will be opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa next month.

A dedicated economic zone with all modern facilities, similar to the one at Dambulla, will be established at Buttala at a cost of Rs.500 Mn. This will serve as a marketing center for the agricultural products of the farmers of Wellawaya, Ampara, Siyambalanduwa, Badulla, Kataragama and other neighbouring agricultural areas. An ice factory will be opened at Buttala, with funding from the Ministry of Economic Development, for the benefit of fishermen engaged in inland freshwater fisheries, he said.

The Rs. 76,316 Mn Iran-funded Uma Oya project to be completed in 2016 is a milestone in the history of irrigation projects in the region which will contribute to increased food productivity while markedly improving the socio-economic condition of the people, he said.

The Planning Director of the Moneragala District Secretariat giving details of salient features of some of the projects for the district during the current year said that an amount of Rs.319 Mn has been allocated for 'one program for one village' and 800 projects under the program have been identified and all projects are under implementation.

The amount that has been allocated for the 'Gama Neguma Special Program' is Rs. 164 Mn and 400 projects have been identified. All 400 projects are under implementation, he said. Rs. 554 Mn has been allocated for the provincial 'Pura Neguma' program and many projects that could not be undertaken previously due to want of funds have now been started under this fund allocation. Several weekly fair projects in the different areas of the district will be launched, the Planning Director said. Work on the Buttala weekly fair has already been started at an expenditure of Rs. 35 Mn.

The construction of a sports pavilion at Medagama has been started at an expenditure of Rs. 6.8 Mn, a similar pavilion project at Tanamalwila has been started at Rs. 5.5 Mn and the Badalkumbura sports pavilion, with all facilities, has been started at an expenditure of Rs. 27 Mn, he said. Another similar project at Siyambalanduwa has been started at an expenditure of Rs. 17.8 Mn.

The work on the construction of the Moneragala main bus terminal, at an expenditure of Rs. 51.8 Mn, is in progress and will be completed before the end of this year, the Planning Director said. Two new cemeteries, one at Moneragala and the other at Medegama, are being constructed at an expenditure of Rs. 18 Mn each, he said.

The Bibile main bus terminal and shopping complex project is under way at an expenditure of Rs. 50 Mn. The Siyambalanduwa and Badalkumbura shopping complex projects, at a total expenditure of Rs. 80 Mn, have been launched. The amount allocated for three drinking water projects, including the Indunilpura and Rohanapura projects, is Rs. 48 Mn, and the projects have already been started, the Planning Director said. Another drinking water project which will benefit the people of the entire Wellawaya area will be launched at an expenditure of Rs. 26 Mn.

An amount of Rs. 40 Mn has been allocated for 64 projects under the 'Schools Development and Sanitary Welfare Program' and work will be completed before the end of the month, the Planning Director said. Rs. 90 Mn has been allocated for conservation of forests and wildlife. The projects under the program will be implemented in Wellawaya, Moneragala, Siyambalanduwa, Kataragama and Medagama, he said. An amount of Rs. 80 Mn both under the de-centralised budget allocations for parliamentarians and the 'Divi Neguma' program will be spent on improving livelihood facilities to the people.

Facilities and assistance will also be provided to deserving families for home gardens, self-employment and for small-scale industries, the Planning Director said. Speaking to the Sunday Observer on road development works undertaken by the Road Development Department which is functioning under the Provincial Council, Chief Engineer Dhammika Chandratillake said that under Part A of the road development project, Rs. 771 Mn has been allocated for the renovation/reconstruction of the Hulanduwa-Kahanpana road and the work is in progress. The funding is from a World Bank (WB) loan, he said.

There are five on-going road maintenance projects under funding from both the WB and the treasury under Part B, he said. The five projects are : 1) the construction of the Handapanwala bridge at a cost of Rs. 44.8 Mn, 2) the Dammewela-Waradola bridge at an expenditure of Rs. 16.4 Mn, 3) the Muppama - Medegama bridge at an expenditure of Rs. 36.5 Mn, 4) the Medagama - Dambagalla bridge at an expenditure of Rs. 24.7 Mn and 5) the Dumbagawela - Meelawabedde road construction at an expenditure of Rs. 12.8 Mn.

The works will be completed within this year he said, adding that the treasury has funded Rs. 86.92 Mn for the maintenance of 41 km road in Moneragala.