Deduruoya project to benefit 50,000 families
by P. Krishnaswamy
The Rs.6.7 billion Deduruoya Reservoir Project that is nearing
completion will bring 30,000 acres of arable land under cultivation
benefiting over 50,000 farmers while also consolidating the national
plan of food security in the country, Minister of Irrigation and Water
Resource Management Nimal Siripala De Silva said in Wariyapola Friday.
He was speaking at a meeting at the Training Centre of the Sri Lanka
School of Agriculture attended by Senior Minister S.B. Nawinna, PC
Ministers,local politicians, senior officials of the Irrigation
Department and representatives of the agricultural families. He
addressed the meeting after visiting the project-site .
The produce of paddy and other highland crops, including vegetables
and fruits, will increase many fold with cultivation becoming possible
in the Maha and Yala seasons contributing to the , economic betterment
of the farmers, the Minister said. Rs.942 ml has already been paid as
compensation to the families who were displaced under the project and
the payment of compensation will exceed Rs.01 billion, he said, adding
that this is the largest amount to be paid as compensation to families
displaced under a reservoir project.
About 700 families have already been resettled in other locations
with allotments of land plots to the extent of 1/2 acre to 01 acre.
Infrastructure facilities, including roads, electricity and schools, and
clean drinking water will be additional facilities that the farmer
families will get under the project, considerably improving their
quality of life, he said. The project will attract a tourist flow to the
project site and the neighbouring areas, he said.
The project is a unique achievement of the Irrigation Department of
his Ministry that everything from conducting feasibility studies to
designing the various components and the construction is done by the
Department, the Minister said.
The Minister also met some of the displaced families who sought his
assistance to have their problems in resettling sorted out.
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