Work at Upper Kotmale in full throttle

By Deepal Warnakulasuriya

The PA government proposal in 2002 to set up a mega hydro power generation project will become a reality generating 150 mega watts of electricity at the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power (UKHP) project within the next three years.

The power plant which is expected to generate over 400 million units annually is built with financial aid from the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The total project has been estimated at a cost of US$ 384 million, while the local investment becomes US$ 87 million. JICA provides US$ 297 million soft loan with an interest rate of 0.95% per annum on a 30 year repayment period, with a 10 year grace period. In addition to the financial aid, the Japanese government also provides the latest Japanese expertise.

The agreement for the power plant was signed between the Sri Lankan government (Ceylon Electricity Board) and the Japanese government on March 27, 2002. The implementation was delayed on several occasions due to hurdles in obtaining environmental clearance. Minister Chamal Rajapaksa speaking to the Sunday Observer said that at present project was smoothly functioning and almost 30 per cent of work from the first phase has already been completed.

"The development of the UKHP project will change the socio-economic situation in this area. The UKHP will provide the local areas with a number of environmental and social benefits both during the construction phase and operation phase. While the local social benefits will be largely confined to the area around Talawakele town, the larger benefits will extend to the upper basin", said the UKHP Project Director Shavi Fernando.

The Minister also said that in addition to the increase of power generation, the project would directly create a lot of employment opportunities resulting in the reduction of poverty in the country and paving the way for better irrigation facilities for the farming community. The project will also furnish infrastructure development including roads, electricity, telecommunications, water supply, medical centres and garbage disposal facilities. The authorities believe that these improvements will certainly enhance continuing development of the area.

When the project was introduced to the public, they feared that they would be made homeless. But, under the first phase of the project, the government has allocated around Rs. 4 billion to build a housing complex to provide shelter for all 495 families to be removed from the power plant area. The foundation stone was laid last March for the housing complex at Holyroad Estate, Rannikelle at Talawakele with the participation of the Power and Energy Minister W. D. J. Seneviratne and several other distinguished invitees.

The complex will comprise 495 houses under four categories ranging from 600 to 1500 square feet floor area.

In addition, it will also relocate a school, a theatre, a rest house and urban council offices and a number of workshops and other business outlets (56). Further, there are about 10 community structures such as kovils, churches, community centres etc. The significant feature in the resettlement program is that all alternatives take place on the site itself to be selected by the communities.

A committee has been appointed under the chairmanship of the UC Chairman, Talawakele with representation from each community consisting of around 30 members to get the ideas and views of the people. The total cost for the construction of buildings and associated infrastructure is Rs. 600 million.

The Project Director Fernando told the Sunday Observer that once the project is completed, it would release around 150 mega watts to the national grid which becomes 7.5% of the total generation of hydro power at present.

In a situation, where electricity has become an essential commodity, it was a must to look for power generating ways and means. Country's electricity requirement has been growing at an average rate of 7-8% annually and this trend is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. The project was approved under the National Environmental Act in March 2000. It allows the CEB to implement the project with several conditions concerning environment and development measures.

The UKHP project is located in the mountainous terrain of the Nuwara Eliya District covering the upstream reaches of the catchment area of the Kotmale Oya and the site can be reached through two major routes from Colombo via Kandy and Hatton. At present, we are reaching our economic development targets as well as ensuring rapid changes in people's quality of life, the demand for electricity grew at an average annual rate of 7.8%. Today's requirement of electricity over 55% is procured from oil based thermal power plants owned by the CEB and some private companies. The cost on oil based is a drain on country's economy.

The project was conceived, planned and developed by experts of international report who had confirmed that no adverse impact on six water falls, Devon, St. Clairs, Poona Oya, Ramboda, Pundal Oya and St. Andrew's. Now people know that the CEB is legally bound to adopt mitigation measures under the watchdog supervision of the Central Environmental Authority Monitoring Committee.

Rumours spread that the proposed regulation pond at Talawakele would be the reason for land slides and earthquakes. But, it is a small reservoir with a dam only 35 metre high and an inundation area of 25 hectares and it has no way to induce earthquakes and land slides.

Waters of Kotmale Oya will be diverted at Talawakele intake dam, into the main tunnel (length 12.5 km), and then to the power house, which is located around 1 km down stream in the confluence of Pundul oya and Kotmale Oya (Up stream end).

[email protected]