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| Sunday, 26 March 2006 |
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Moragahakanda reservoir gets under way mid 2006 by L. S. A. Wedaarachchi
The Mahaweli Development project has got a new lease of life under the Minister of Agriculture, Environment, Irrigation and Mahaweli Development Maithripala Sirisena. The Mahaweli Development project was restructured and the number of employees had been reduced and no new development projects were commenced under the previous government. The Moragahakanda reservoir was the fifth reservoir planned under the Mahaweli master plan. Its construction was delayed due to various reasons during the last 35 years. Considering the importance of the project and to fulfil the aspirations of President Mahinda Rajapakse, Minister Maithripala Sirisena has decided to commence work on the Moragahakanda reservoir and Kaluganga project by mid 2006. Minister Sirisena told the Sunday Observer that the Mahaweli Development project of which almost all the major reservoirs have been completed could be considered the largest multi purpose development program undertaken in Sri Lanka to date. "Once the construction of the Moragahakanda reservoir is completed it will mark the completion of all five major reservoirs under the Mahaweli development program", he said. "Three feasibility studies had been carried out in 1974, 1978, and 1997 on the Moragahakanda project. This is the biggest project when compared to other Mahaweli projects and it is basically an agriculture development project, he said. The Moragahakanda reservoir is a major storage reservoir proposed under the Mahaweli ganga development scheme for the purpose of regulation and storage of Amban ganga which flows between the Bowatanna dam and Elahera anicut. This multi-purpose project is expected to provide a domestic and industrial water supply to Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa and Matale districts, irrigation water to cultivate 26,500 Ha of uncultivated lands annually in the Amban ganga system and around 55 gwh of hydro power could be generated annually at Moragahakanda. The project components include construction of a dam across the Amban Ganga, about 2km upstream of the Elehara anicut incorporating a power house with an installed capacity of 20mw. This would ensure the supply of irrigated water to 81,422 Ha of lands in the dry zone to meet the drinking water requirements in the Anuradhapura and Trincomalee areas and an additional water supply to the industrial zone in the Trincomalee and generation of electricity. The completion of the Moragahakanda reservoir project will contribute towards increasing agricultural productivity in the island from 165 per cent to 185 per cent and its total output value would be US $ 17 million. It is also expected to save US $ 2.2 million locally by supplying water to households and for industrial purposes. According to the Moragahakanda project report the power generation and Inland fishery industry may contribute towards saving US $ 1.3 million and US $ 1.1 million. It is also expected that the farmers' income would increase by 80 per cent once the Moragahakanda reservoir project is completed. The Mahaweli Minister said the cost of the construction work on the Moragahakanda and Kalu ganga projects will be Rs. 7 billion and the millennium fund had agreed to finance the project. Outlying the enormous benefits the country has derived from the Mahaweli project during the past three decades the Minister said that the total number of farmer families settled to date exceeds 133,000 and those farmers in their thousands contribute towards building a new Mahaweli economy and a new Mahaweli culture. He said that during the past 28 years Mahaweli hydro power stations have
generated power worth over Rs. 114 billion. Discussing today's challenge for
a bright future, the Mahaweli Minister stressed the need for a proper and
efficient human resources management and rational water management plan to
enhance and sustain the Mahaweli program. |
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