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Will bring economic prosperity to many provinces:
Moragahakanda project will be completed ahead of schedule
By Shirajiv SIRIMANE in Moragahakanda
Sri Lanka’s last major hydro power generating venture, Moragahakanda
Project, is now progressing ahead of schedule and is to be completed in
July 2016. The project which would not only add 25MW of electricity to
the national grid, would also, most importantly, provide a domestic and
industrial water supply to Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa and
Matale districts for the development of agriculture in the North, East
and North-Western Provinces.
The world’s largest hydro-electric company, Sinohydro Corporation of
China was given the responsibility for the construction work. When
completed, the Moragahakanda reservoir would be the second largest ever
built in Sri Lanka, after Victoria.
The lack of irrigation and drinking water was one of the main
problems faced by the people in these areas and a project of this nature
was a crying need for nearly 30 years. Though a project of this nature
was discussed about 20 years ago, it never became a reality since no
political leader was serious in this regard. Several promises were made
with no action taking place. However, President Mahinda Rajapaksa
identified this need in 2007 and began working to settle the problems
associated with the project.
He also raised funds for the project and found the world’s leading
construction company, Sinohydro Corporation of China to carry it out.
It is expected that the annual agricultural benefits from paddy
cultivation alone as a result of the project would be around US$ 30.1
million while the fresh water fish breeding industry would contribute
around Rs. 1.67 million to the national economy via benefits from this
project. Most importantly, through power generation, the country would
annually save US$ 2.49 billion!
Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de
Silva has said the Government handed over the Moragahakanda Project
under the Mahaweli River Development Program to Sinohydro Corporation of
China. “We are grateful for the assistance given by China,” he said.
Mahaweli Project Director, R.B. Tennakoon said they are satisfied
with the responsible manner in which Sinohydro Corporation of China is
carrying out their task. “They have already done preliminary studies and
have got the entire basic infrastructure in place to commence
construction,” he said.
According to Tennakoon, 1,581 families had to be relocated under this
project which is currently taking place. “We have already resettled 221
families in better places and compensation too had been paid to them,”
he said. The relocation is to be completed by 2015.
Construction to begin
Chief Engineer, Sinohydro Corporation of China, Li Shizhong, who had
been in Sri Lanka for several years along with around 30 Chinese staff,
studying the project, said they are now ready to begin construction of
the 65 metre high dam. “We will start construction next February and it
would be completed in four years.”
The total construction contract would be worth US$ 252 million.
Since winning the contract three months ago, Sinohydro has built a
site office, bridges, roads and workshop and the residential complex
would be ready by the end of the month. “We are ahead of schedule and we
are confident that the final project could be delivered before
schedule,” he said.
Shizhong said some of the key decisions that the company took was to
maintain the picturesque environment of the area and award every
possible sub-contract to people who were relocated due to the project.
“This has proved very successful and today one can see Sri Lankans
working hand in hand with our staff in perfect harmony,” he said. As in
all their projects all over the world, he said, that safety is a prime
concern.
One of the key points they wanted established by this measure was to
make the residents more knowledgeable of the project that is shaping
around them and to give them a better and rich lifestyle.
The project is being launched in the Laggala electorate of the Matale
district in the Central Province. It also extends to some parts of the
North Central Province.
Though over 800 trucks full of sand from the Mahaweli pass the
project daily, Sinohydro Corporation has taken a decision to purchase
sand only from the people who were relocated due to the project.
Sinohydro Corporation, with operations in more than 58 countries, is
a Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering and construction company.
It engages in architectural projects, electric power investment,
housing, property and real estate, research and development and design
and manufacture of construction equipment.
Founded in 1955 and based in Beijing, it ranks 24th among the Top 225
International Contractors listed by the Engineering News Record.
Currently, Sinohydro has over 241 projects completed or under
construction in 61 countries, with a total contract value of around US$
25.5 billion.
He said they feel quite at home working in Sri Lanka mainly because
of the support they get from the Mahaweli Authority and the residents.
“We have even braved the rain to meet our deadlines,” he said.
Mahaweli program
Moragahakanda and Kaluganga development projects are some of the
largest reservoir projects to be taken up under the Mahaweli River
Development Program and includes the construction of a second reservoir
across the Kaluganga.
A conveyance system consisting of two tunnels and transfer canals and
a power-house with an installed capacity of 20MW of power will also be
set up.
The main aim of the project is to provide irrigation water facilities
to 81,442 hectares of land in the dry zone. In addition, the project
will help meet the potable and industrial water requirements of those in
the Anuradhapura and Trincomalee towns and generate electricity by
hydropower.
Around 100,000 families, especially the agricultural and inland
fishery communities, are expected to benefit from the project.
The implementation of this project and the opening of the two bridges
will also pave the way for more development activities in the
Polonnaruwa and Medirigiriya areas.
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 river, envisaged the
development of 365,000 ha for agriculture and the introduction of 600 MW
of hydro-power capacity.
The total Mahaweli project area covers 39 percent of the island, 55
percent of the dry zone, and encompasses 60 percent of the irrigable
land area of Sri Lanka.
The project is to provide irrigation for agriculture and water for
domestic use, generate hydropower for the range of agro-based industry
in the Mahaweli areas and elsewhere, provide effective flood control and
most importantly, open new land for agriculture development.
The project comprises five major dams; Kotmale, Victoria,
Randenigala–Rantambe, Maduru Oya and Moragahakanda which is to be
constructed.
The Moragahakanda project would benefit many people in several
provinces and would help bring economic prosperity to many provinces.
Principal project features - Moragahakanda Reservoir
Type of dam: A roller compacted concrete main dam and two rock
filled saddle dams
Maximum dam height: 65 metres
Active storage: 521 million cubic metres
Objectives of the project:
* To provide irrigation water facilities to 81,422 ha in the dry zone
of Sri Lanka
* Potable and industrial water supply to Anuradhapura and Trincomalee
towns
* Generation of electricity by hydro power
Direct benefits:
Agriculture :
Cropping intensity which varies from 100 to 154 percent in these
areas will be raised to around 181 percent on the average. 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.
Inland fishery:
The average annual fish production potential of the reservoir is
estimated to be around 4,700 tons, representing a net benefit of US$
1.67 million annually.
Potable and industrial water supply:
An increased supply of 64 MCM (by 2032) could be ensured towards
meeting the potable and industrial water needs in the district of
Matale, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa from the surface water
sources in the Amban Ganga basin and its associated tanks and canals
with the implementation of the project.
Power generation:
Annual fuel cost savings with the hydropower produced will be around
US$ 2.49 billion annual average.
Environmental management plan:
The following constitute the environmental management action plan
that has been proposed as part of the project:
* Reforestation of about 2,000 ha in the Amban Ganga Basin
* Clearing of elephant corridor between Giritale and Minneriya nature
reserve
* Habitat enrichment in proposed corridor between Wasgamuwa National
Park and Victoria–Randenigala–Rantambe Sanctuary
* Research and development in the proposed corridor
* Establishment of a 100 m wide reservation around the reservoirs
* Rehabilitation of tanks in adjacent nature reserves
* Establishment of electric elephant fence around the resettlement area
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