Work on Moragahakanda project to begin soon
by Anura Maitipe
Work on the last phase of the Mahaweli Scheme, "the Moragahakanda and
Kaluganga Multi Purpose Project" will commence at a cost of USD 385
million. Construction work on the project will commence on January 25,
Minister of Agriculture, Environment, Irrigation and Mahaweli
Development, Maithripala Sirisena told the Sunday Observer.
The government has allocated Rs. 50 million for the project and
foreign funding has been sought through the External Resources
Department (ERD). The donor agency has urged the ERD to submit a
detailed plan to release funds, he said.
The Kaluganga River which begins from Knuckles Range in the Matale
District will be channelled to the Mahaweli River through underground
tunnels. It will generate 20 MW of electricity.
Over 800 families will be evacuated from their ancestral lands in the
Matale district following the implementation of this project and these
families will be provided with alternative irrigated lands in Minneriya
and Kadulla under the Moragahakanda scheme, he said.
With the completion of this project, over 7,000 hectares of land in
the North Central, North and East will be converted into irrigated
agricultural lands and it would increase the country's agricultural
produce by an additional 17 per cent, he said.
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