Moragahakanda - Kalu Ganga project ahead of schedule

By Shirajiv SIRIMANE in Moragahakanda

The Moragahakanda - Kalu Ganga development project, the biggest multi purpose development venture undertaken by the government is progressing ahead of schedule.

It's very saddening to note that Moragahakanda - Kalu Ganga development project was first discussed in 1955 and again in the 1977 when the Mahaweli projects were being implemented. However, this venture was scheduled for another 30 years before it finally took off the ground as fulfilling an election pledge under the Mahinda Chintahna.

The local inputs added to the project are saving millions of funds to the country and also is making faster progress.

The key role is being played by the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka which has a track record of building and maintaining Sri Lanka's biggest dams, power and irrigation projects such as Kotmale, Victoria, Randenigala, Rantambe, Maduru Oya and many similar ventures.

The Moragahakanda - Kaluganga development project comprises the building of two main dams and they are being supported by saddled dams.

Project Director, R.D. Tennakoon said that the first saddled dam will be completed by the end of this year and it was built entirely by local engineers. "This is a 21 meter tall, 200 meter long earth dam and with a width of over 7 meters," he said.

Local manpower

Tennakoon said that they also made it a point to use manpower from the area thus ensuring a better money flow to the residents even during the construction period. "We only have to complete the rip rap (installing rocks on top of the dam to break waves) and rock for this is being taken from the location itself," he said.

He said that resettlement had been one of the priorities in implementing this project and in addition to the Mahaweli Authority the donor countries too are very keen on this. "Hence we have talked to the residents and are offering them two and a half acres of land suitable for cultivation and another half an acre for residential purposes. This is in addition to the compensation they would receive," he explained.

The Mahaweli Authority has been having a very good track record of resettlements, an experience they gained through the previous ventures and this success story would be adopted here as well.

"We have also gone a step ahead and after paying compensation for their lands, buildings and cultivation. The Authority will allow them to take building material and even timber from their old premises," he said.

"We want to ensure that they are happy and even during the resettlement period we will provide them with some rations and assist them with the cultivation." He explained that 1,581 families in Moragahakanda area and 787 families in the Kalu Ganga area have been earmarked to be compensated. This will commence from 2012 and would be completed in two years. "Over 90 percent of these people are farmers and no major town or archaeological site is coming under water due to this project."

Model farm aid

Technical advice too would be provided while the Mahaweli model farm which is now being constructed would give them hybrid seeds and plants for agriculture. The construction of a new township which is the apex of the Medirigiriya development plan, as well as tanks and the road network are being expeditiously completed.

Project Director, R.D. Tennakoon at the site

Once implemented, the 10 1/2, kilometre Naula-Elehara Road will be submerged. A new carpeted road is being built along the new reservoir. In addition a new 26 kilometre road too is being built linking the proposed new resettlement area.

Due to this project there would also be a flood control system which would be another advantage.

Protecting the environment too had been a priority and the Authority is taking meaningful steps in this regard which also include the constructing of an elephant corridor. Even endangered species and trees are being relocated.

The total cost of the project has been estimated at around Rs. 6.5 billion. The funding for the Kalu Ganga project is being channelled through the Kuwait and Saudi Arabian governments as well as from the OPEC Fund. JAICA from Japan is funding the Moragahakanda project.

The project aims to irrigate 81,422 hectares in the Central and North Central provinces benefiting over 100,000 families, in addition to providing drinking water and generating hydro-power.

One of the major plus point of this multi purpose development venture is the ability to generate 20MW to the National Grid. Annual fuel cost savings with the hydropower produced will be around US $ 2.49 annual average.

Benefits Northern farmers

The direct benefits include increased rice yield per hectare with an additional agricultural production of 109,000 tons annually. The net annual agricultural benefit will be US $ 27.7 million in financial terms.

Lahmeyer International from Germany in association with the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB) of Sri Lanka, United Consulting Group (KUWAIT) and Chuo Kaihatsu Corporation, Japan has conducted studies for the project and have taken great pains in this regard.

Once the Moragahakanda project is completed a large number of farmers in the Northern part of this country will benefit, said Director General, Mahaweli Authority, D.M.C. Dissanayake.

He said that under the second phase of Moragahakanda project a channel named `NCP channel' will be constructed up to Iranamadu. This would be a 100 kilometre channel and would be Sri Lanka's longest channel.

The completion of the Moragahakanda reservoir project will increase the island's agricultural productivity from 165 percent to 185 percent, with a total output value of US$ 17 million.

The average annual fish production potential of the reservoir is estimated to be around 4,700 tons per year, representing a net benefit of US $ 1.67 million annually. Farmer income is expected to increase by 80%, once the Moragahakanda reservoir project is completed.

It is also expected to save US$ 2.2 million, locally, by supplying water to households and for industrial purposes.

The Mahaweli Project is the largest Multi Purpose Development Project ever undertaken in Sri Lanka. The Mahaweli Master Plan drawn up during 1964 - 1968 for harnessing the waters of the Mahaweli envisaged the development of 365,000 ha for agriculture and installation of 600 MW of Hydro-Power capacities. The total Mahaweli Project Area covers 39 percent of the whole island, 55 percent of the Dry Zone, and encompasses 60 percent of the irrigable land area of Sri Lanka.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva affirms that the government has planned to complete the Moragahakanda and Kalu ganga irrigation project by year 2014.

People have being talking about King Parakramabahu for centuries for constructing the Parakarama Samudraya. The Moragahakanda - Kaluganga development project would be four times bigger than the Parakrama Samudraya and people will talk about this project for a longer period than the Parakrama Samudraya.