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D.J. Wimalasurendra left indelible mark on local electricity development scheme - Minister Dayaratne

The contribution made by late D.J. Wimalasurendra is so great that the story of Hydro Electric Power generation in Sri Lanka cannot be related without appreciating the indelible mark left behind by him on the local electricity development scheme, said Health, Nutrition and Welfare Minister P. Dayaratne.

Minister Dayaratne was speaking as the chief guest at a ceremony to mark the 128th birth anniversary of late Mr. Wimalasurendra held at the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo recently.

Earlier, the Minister unveiled a bust of late Mr. Wimalasurendra at the venue to mark the occasion. Minister Dayaratne said: "The conception and the execution of the first Hydro Power Scheme in Sri Lanka could not have been possible if not for the pioneering role played by and long years of patient hard work contributed by Mr. Wimalasurendra under difficult conditions and opposition from European Engineers during his time even under British rule. It is no wonder that he had been described as the discoverer of our water power resources' and the 'giver of light'".

"Mr. Wimalasurendra was born in Galle in 1874. Young Wimalasurendra received his eduction at Ananda College, Colombo. Later, he continued his studies at the Technical College and Farady Hosue in London. He was elected to Associate membership of the Institute of Civil and Electrical Engineers of England and also obtained his AMIEE qualifications. Later, he joined the public service which he described as a career in which he began as an overseer and rose to the highest position available to a Ceylonese under British rule".

"Mr. Wimalasurendra's interest in Hydro Power Development dates back to 1901, when he was sent to Kelani Valley as a Junior Assistant Engineer of the Department of Works to prospect for gold. Instead of finding gold, he found the beautiful Luxapana Falls, the cascading water of which he described as 'white coal'. From the day he saw Luxapana, his interest was to harness it and other falls for generation of hydro electricity. His enthusiasm was such, off and on, and sometimes at his own expense he carried out investigations into the possibilities of harnessing water power from the falls. He was assisted in his endeavours by Mr. Upasena of the Government Factory who was released by the Director of Public Works to assist Mr. Wimalasurendra, Minister Dayaratne said".

The Minister said, in 1918, Mr. Wimalasurendra was appointed as the District Engineer, PWD at Pussellawa. Embodying his years of investigations, Wimalasurendra prepared a technical paper titled the "Economics of Power Utilisation in Ceylon" and read it before the Engineering Association of Ceylon in that year. In that paper he pointed out that harnessing Mahaweli, Kehelgamuwa Oya, Maskeliya Oya for Hydro Power development would inaugurate an industrial era for Ceylon. In his paper he listed industries that could be established by utilising Hydro Power. He even envisaged the electrification of the railway in upcountry areas using Hydro Power".

"Mr. Wimalasurendra's ideas expressed in his paper read before the Engineering Association of Ceylon was met with stiff resistance from the European Engineering fraternity as well as from his local friends and by the British Administration. They claimed that his ideas will end in failure and were not practical. There will be no sufficient water to generate electricity during the drought they criticised. The Chief Engineer of Electricity, F.B. Rylands, was vehemently, opposed to the views of Mr. Wimalasurendra. Undeterred by the opposition from all sides, he stood his ground arguing that he has arrived at his recommendations after careful investigations and evaluation of facts. Fortunately for him his views fired the imagination of statesmen like Sir Marcus Fernando, Sir James Peiris, Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam, Sir Baron Jayathilaka and D. S. Senanayake. The nationalist press of D. R. Wijewardena in the Lake House and of Armand De Souza of the Country Leader gave him strong support. Encouraged by this support and his firm commitment he was able to pursue his goal and pioneer the establishment of the first hydro project in this country.

When the Department of Government Electrical Undertakings was established in 1927, Mr. Wimalasurendra was appointed as the Chief Engineer and Deputy Director of DGEU. Mr. Wimalasurendra retired from service in 1929 at the age of 55 years. He entered the State Council as an elected Representative from Ratnapura in 1931 and remained a member of the Council for 4 1/2 years. Because of his engineering background he was appointed to the Executive Committee of Works and Communication where he contributed immensely to the development of the country.

He argued his case for resumption of work of hydro scheme left uncompleted by the British Administration and got them re-activated after the war. Accordingly, the Laxapana Hydro Power Scheme, the construction of which started in 1924 was thus resumed in 1938 and was completed in 1950 after 26 years and Sir John Kotalawala switched on the power from Laxapana on the 30th October, 1950 to make it the happiest day in the life of Mr. Wimalasurendra.

On this occasion he commented (quote) "although it was not my god fortune to execute the Scheme I had originated, I am happy that I have lived to see it brought to fruition by my countrymen and that I should have in the evening of my life being able to see the light the dawn of which I beheld 50 years ago.

Mr. Wimalasurendra died in 1953, and thus a son of this soil, a true patriot of this land and an indomitable personality was lost to the Motherland. But the work he has done the contribution he has made and the path he has shown to enliven the lives of his fellow citizen and successors still linger in their minds.

Due to his skills and steadfastness he made the British Government realise that decisions made on sound technical data and judgement should not be modified or delayed due to political or other interests or intervention. In addition to his contribution to development of Hydro Electricity in Sri Lanka, he will be remembered for the "loop in the loop" at Demodara on the up country railway line, the Hiyare Reservoir in Galle, the Kandy water augmentation scheme among many other works that stand testimony to his engineering skills. The power crisis we are facing today would not have been a problem that we are struggling to solve had the politicians during the British Rule and in successive Governments after independence paid heed to the wise counselling provided by Mr. Wimalasurendra the engineer and his successors in the DGEU, CEB and elsewhere over the years. We now live at a time when we needed more men of the calibre of Wimalasurendra in our midst.

I am personally happy as an ex-engineer of the CEB and former Minister in charge of the subject of power and energy to have got this opportunity to participate in this ceremony to unveil a bust of late Mr. Wimalasurendra as a fitting tribute paid to a national hero by a grateful nation on his birth anniversary, Minister Dayaratne said.

Earlier, IESL President B. R. O. Fernando delivered the welcome address.

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