Over 30,000 families to benefit:

Rambaken Oya Irrigation Project nearing completion

By P. Krishnaswamy

The Rambaken Oya Irrigation and Water Supply project, in the Maha Oya Divisional Secretariat area in the Ampara district, is one among several major agricultural and rural development projects that is nearing completion under the 'Mahinda Chintana' concept of doing social justice by the rural population of the country. The project is being implemented by the Mahaveli Authority of Sri Lanka (MASL) which now functions under the purview of the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management.

During a tour, last week, by the media team to the project site, arranged by the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management to coincide with the inspection and consultation tour of Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva and his entourage, it was observed that much of the work on the construction of the reservoir across Rambaken Oya, irrigational canals, road networks and other basic infrastructure arrangements were completed, with work in progress, engaging a large workforce and heavy earth-moving equipment to complete at least eighty percent of the work before the end of this year.

The entire project is targeted to be completed before the end of next year. The project will benefit the local population comprising over 34,000 families. Major benefits are irrigational facilities to 3,500 acres of arable lands, allotment of these lands among 2,100 landless peasants of the area and drinking water facilities to the entire local community. The overall benefits include economic, health, enhancement of nutritional levels of the community and social welfare facilities to them.

Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva addressing the gathering at the Bollagalla Purana Rajamaha Vihara highlighted the significance of the project and the benefits it will bring to the local communities, including distribution of land among the landless families.

He also gave a patient hearing to grievances and shortcomings expressed by individuals and assured that steps would be taken to address them.

He said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was very particular that everyone's problems should be adequately addressed. Senior Minister P. Dayaratne, local political leaders, project officials and Divisional Secretariat officials also spoke.

After the meeting the Minister and his entourage, with the media team, traversed the jungle terrain, before reaching the Rambaken Oya reservoir site.

Minister De Silva speaking to the media at the site said that the project was aimed at improving the livelihood and economic conditions of the local community and that all incentives would be extended to them by the Government for vegetable and fruit cultivation as well as for animal husbandry, apart from paddy cultivation.

The necessity of development programs for the benefit of the population in the Dry Zone arose considering the food security of the people.

The lack of food arose due to disruption of agrarian systems, land fragmentation, lack of irrigable land, indebtedness of the farmers and poor post-harvest technology.

The backbone of the population of the dry zone is based on agriculture with almost 85 percent of them depending on it for their livelihood. Nearly two-thirds of the land area of the country comes under the dry zone.

The contribution that agriculture makes to household income has been declining and poverty and unemployment have been on the rise. But there has been a marked progress in the production of rice and other crops under the Mahaveli Development programs.

It has also contributed to rural development and healthcare services to the poor and the needy. Several programs for the development and improvement of water resources in the dry zone to ensure efficient and maximum utilisation of the vastly available land resources in the dry zone areas are now under implementation. The development of the Mahaveli Ganga was preceded by a UNDP sponsored comprehensive study of the land and water resources of the Mahaveli and its tributaries. The study identified several reservoirs across the Mahaveli river and its branches to store water for irrigation and generation of hydropower.

Development of 365,000 hectares. of land with irrigated water; crop diversification; generation of 620 MW of hydropower; direct and indirect employment opportunities to about one million people; flood control in downstream area and ; the development of agro-based industries are the main objectives of the Mahaveli Development program.

The implementation of the Mahaveli development program started in the late 1960s with the construction work on the Polgolla barrage. The anxious, multi-billion rupee project was originally planned to be completed in 30 years.

Later, in 1978, the work on the Accelerated Mahaveli Development Program (AMDP) was started when headworks of the Polgolla Diversion Project had already been completed and work was proceeding on the development of irrigation infrastructure in System 'H'. Under the AMDP, the construction of four large multi-purpose reservoirs across the Mahaveli Ganga was completed.

The area covering the Rambaken Oya project was gazetted as a special Mahaweli Development area. The objective of the project is to complete the settlement and land development of the ongoing Rambukkan Oya Reservoir Project which is the largest irrigation project in the Ampara district, started in May 1977, second only to the Gal Oya project.

The Rambaken Oya project area was declared as a Resident Project Manager's area under the MASL in 2010 by granting the mandate to plan and implement intergraded development activities on land development, agriculture, community development, environmental conservation and post settlement activities.

This planned reservoir by the Irrigation Department brings benefits to both the Ampara and Batticaloa districts by providing the much needed water for the development of 200 ha. of the arid lands in addition to providing drinking water and other infrastructure development. The Mundeni Aru basin in which the Rambukkan Oya reservoir is located is numbered as river basin No.52 and located in the Amapara and Batticaloa districts. Rambaken Oya is one of the three main tributaries of the Mundeni Aru which flows between Maduru Oya and Gal Oya.

This is a rural undeveloped basin with a catchment area of 1,280 km.

About 859 MCM of untapped water of the Mundeni Aru flows into the sea which has a catchment area of 1280sq/km. Construction of the Rambaken Oya reservoir by using the Rambukkan Oya which is one of the major tributaries of Mundeni Aru will provide facilities to store 56MCM of this untapped water.

The District Secretariat divisions coming under the Rambaken Oya project are Maha Oya and Padiyatalawa with 17 and 20 Grama Niladhari divisions in them respectively.

The total population as in 2008 was 41,559 with the Maha Oya having a land area of 667 sq.km and Padiyatalawa having 379 sq.km. The main towns are Maha Oya and Padiyatalawa and the main highways are Mahiyangana-Ampara highway and the Mahiyangana-Batticaloa highway.

In addition to severe shortage of water for the cultivation of paddy, a similar situation is encountered even during the Yala season and, therefore, it became necessary to develop water resources in the basin in an integrated manner to meet the water needs of different sectors.

The proposed dam that has now been partly completed is 1250 m. in length. The remnants of the ancient tank can be seen at the Kuruduwinna village. The priority project area falls within six Grama Niladhari divisions of the Maha Oya Divisional Secretariat area.

The Rambaken Oya Development Plan and the main proposals with regard to it includes irrigation of 3500 Ac (1400 hc) of arable lands, development of 2000 Ac (800 ha) of non-irrigated lands, and the settlement of a total number of 4000 families which comprise 2,333 families with irrigation facilities, 800 families engaged in the cultivation of food crops other than paddy and 867 non-farmer families. Pasture lands under the project for animal husbandry will be 20 Ha for a village and firewood lands will be 10 Ha per village. Under the development potentials, the Rambaken Oya Reservoir will have a catchment area of 130 Sq.Km and a capacity of 56m 3 millions. Length of the main canal is 6.7 Km and the capacity of it is 5.7 CM per second. Two other canals for extending irrigational facilities to a distance of 12 Km and 20 Km are also being constructed under the project.

The proposed Farmstead Land area under the project is 3500 Ac ( 1400 ha) and the proposed land for other food crops is 2000 Ac (800 ha). The proposed Homestead lots are 4000 (05 Ac/0.2 ha) and proposed irrigable lots are 2333 (1.5 Ac/0.6 ha). Common facilities will be one Area Centre and 03 three Village Centres.

In the new settlements 'Garden Concept' for townships and area centres, 'Nuwara Kalawiya (Kandy) Concept' for village centres and 'Upcountry Homestead Concept' for the homestead development are to be introduced.