Weheragala Project to water arid lands of
the South
by Rohan Mathes
The arid and desolate lands
of Hambantota and Moneragala districts have been better
known as the least developed and poverty stricken regions of
third world Sri Lanka.
 More than two thirds of its populace live in abject
poverty, largely dependant on state subsidies such as
Janasaviya and Samurdhi. Being blessed by great rivers such
as the sacred and magical Menik Ganga, and a host of 'wewas'
and 'oyas', at a glance it seems as though there is water
everywhere in the region. Nevertheless, there is no water
even to quench the thirst of human and wild life.
Ironically, the sanga, veda, guru, govi, kamkaru
idelogies of the Bandaranaikes, the 'Gam Udawa' concept of
Ranasinghe Premadasa, among others have miserably failed to
diagnose and arrest the situation in the past, in order to
uplift the living standards and livelihoods of the regional
inhabitants depending solely on agro-based industries for a
living.
However, a true son of Mother Lanka, President Mahinda
Rajapaksa from Ruhuna Giruwa Pathuwa, has committed himself
to address the crisis by taking measures as envisioned in
his 'Mahinda Chintanaya'. History will be re-written and a
long-felt need will soon become a reality.
The semi-desert areas of the Moneragala and Hambantota
districts, inclusive of Kataragama, Hambantota, Weerawilla,
Thanamalvilla and Tissamaharama among others, will be
immensely benefitted by the propopsed acclerated Weheragala
Reservoir project now already underway, and nearing
completion in December this year, under the auspices of
President Mahinda Rajapakse.
The great King Parakramabahu was of the view that not a
single drop of water should flow to the sea sans utilisation.
The Weheragala Reservoir project, per se, a brainchild of
President Rajapakse, is based on this premise.
A surplus of water from the Menik Ganga, uncontrollably
flows into the sea annually, inundating and causing much
havoc and devastation to life and property in transit. This
vast, unutilised water resource is to be trapped and
collected by the proposed 2030 metre long, 75 million cubic
metre capacity Weheragala Reservoir.
The Weheragala reservoir will provide water to Galamuna,
Gettupana, Hangunaara and the southern and left banks of
Kirindioya project. A 23 km long feeder canal would carry a
capacity of 65 million cubic metres of water annually, to
the Lunugamwehera from the Weheragala reservoir.
The proposed scheme, to be completed at an estimated
amount of around Rs.1800 million, will develop an area of
5700 hectares, and uplift the livelihoods of 5600 farming
families engaged in paddy and minor crop cultivation.
The farming community will have the ability of
cultivating both the Yala and Maha kanna.Albeit annually,
the Menik Ganga runs dry in the months of August and
September, on completion of the project, the maintenance of
the water levels at 15 to 20 cubic metres per second, is
ensured throughout the year.
This will bring a sustainable solution to the potable
water crisis in Kataragama, a long-felt need in the area for
decades.
The utilisation of solely indigenous know-how, expertise
and resources in the said project, is another unique and
salient feature to be noted and emulated. Similar projects
have been undertaken by foreign contractors at comparatively
high costs, resulting in the loss of valuable foreign
exchange to the country.
The project has generated around 700 job opportunities
already, with the prospect of increasing the same by another
300, for locals in the neighbouring areas of Kataragama,
Hambantota, Weerawilla, Tanamalwilla and Tissamaharama, at
an average daily wage of around Rs.450. An allocation of
Rs.150 million has been set aside as wages for the whole
project.
The Irrigation Ministry Secretary A.D.S.Gunawardena who
is directly in charge of the project, told the Sunday
Observer that minor environmental hazards, such as the
clearing of the forest is insignificant when compared with
the benefits acquired therein.
However, he said that in coordination with the Forest
Department, they have planned a massive re-plantation scheme
to minimise the loss.
He further said that the project had also helped to solve
the 'squatter' problem which had a detrimental impact on the
forest, as they were illegally clearing the jungle and also
destroying wild life in the area. The project thus helped
them to re-settle these 'squatters' in a more organised
manner at alternative sites.
Gunawardena noted that once the water problem is solved,
the Wild Life Department has plans of introducing new
species of birds in and re-settling wild elephnts into the
forest areas around Weheragala, to attract tourists in the
future.
"The quality of the flora and fauna of the region will be
enhanced after the project is completed", he added.
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