by Ananda Kannangara
Over 500 large and small scale irrigation projects that were destroyed due to last week’s heavy rains and floods will be renovated by the Irrigation and Water Resources Management Ministry shortly.
The Ministry expects to spend over Rs. 500 million to renovate countrywide devastated irrigation projects.
Ministry statistics reveal that nearly 200 major and minor water reservoirs and about 290 irrigation projects were badly affected by the floods.
Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told the Sunday Observer online that immediate steps will be taken to renovate these devastated irrigation projects to enable farmers to re-cultivate their agricultural lands.
It is reported that over 500,000 hectares of paddy lands were submerged, while 200,000 paddy cultivation was badly damaged.
The Minister thanked parliamentarians, officials in all Divisional secretariats, members of three armed forces and Police and countrywide farmer organisation for taking various steps to protect their area irrigation projects, water resources, canals and lakes during the rainy season.