Flood hit tanks and lands to be rehabilitated soon

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Over 500,000 hectares of paddy and other agricultural lands that were submerged due to last week's heavy rains and floods in thirteen districts countrywide will be re-cultivated with the Government assistance.

The Government has decided to provide seed paddy, fertilizer and equipment to farmers to re-cultivate lands.

According to Agrarian Services Ministry statistics out of 500,000 hectares of agricultural lands, nearly 200,000 paddy lands have been badly damaged and need urgent renovations.

Quoting statistics, Agrarian Services Minister S.M. Chandrasena told the Sunday Observer that according to Irrigation and Water Resources Management Ministry, over 500 large and small scale irrigation projects were damaged following last week's floods.

He said re-cultivating the damaged agricultural lands by his Ministry and renovations of devastated irrigation tanks by Irrigation and Water Resources Management Ministry should be carried out simultaneously.

Minister Chandrasena said soon after the prevailing weather conditions in the District, both ministries will expedite their work for the benefit of thousands farmer families.

The Minister also thanked the Government for allocating Rs. 5,000 million to renovate all devastated tanks, water reservoirs, lakes, canals, anicuts and other small and large scale irrigation projects in number of areas including the worst affected Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Kilinochchchi, Trincomalee and Ampara.

He called upon area Parliamentarians, Officials in Divisional Secretariats, members of three Armed Forces and Police and the members of islandwide farmer organisations to assist the Government's endeavour of renovating water resources in their respective areas.

Meanwhile, Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said nearly 200 major and minor water reservoirs and about 290 irrigation projects were badly affected by the floods.