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| Thursday, 11 December 2003 |
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'Diverting a dry river' This article is in response to the article of 12th November 2003 titled "Diverting a Dry River" by Tharuka Dissanayaka in Daily News. It is our sincere feeling that readers of your paper should be given more professional information about the Water Resources Development activities undertaken by the current Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management and the Department of Irrigation by large and specifically on the subject of Water Resources Development on Menik Ganga river basin. At the very outset it is known that E. I. A. clearance was obtained for Kuda Gal Amuna after studying all relevant issues related to the environment before the commencement of the construction. Diversion of water from a wetter region to a drier region is acceptable under the normal circumstances. However it should be noted the Hambantota District between Uruboku Oya and Menik Ganga is drier than the Moneragala District where coconut and rubber can be grown. At present 90% of available water from Kubukkan Oya and Menik Ganga goes to the sea without being used, as lands are not available for development. Therefore future development has to be conceptualized rationally as original lands under Kubukkan Oya and Menik Ganga lower basins are no longer available to the poor farmers of the area. This is due to the declaration of National Parks in lower basins by the British and their successors. Remnants of minor tanks and evidence of paddy fields are easily identified at the heart of Yala National Park even in Block II area. Tharuka Dissanayake's article refers to the clearing of the jungle in canal reservation to a width of 500 Yds. This is totally incorrect and the cleaning of the canal trace was done to a distance even less than 50 Yds. width. Obviously Tharuka Dissanayake does not need to go for a refresher course to brush up his skills on elementary knowledge of distance measurements. Nowhere the canal trace been extended to the river as mentioned in his article. The writer refers to lining of canals with concrete. Probably the writer may not know the specific plans of the Irrigation Department on this project. There is no plan to line these canals, because earthen canal without concrete lining is more suitable for the natural environment and unlined canals are environmentally friendly. Therefore his imaginations on concrete or stone lining of irrigation canals are not applicable in this particular project. Concrete canals are more harmful to the wild animals. The total length of the feeder canal of Kuda Gal Amuna is 16 Kms. and not more than 4 Kms. runs through the National Park. The electrical fence erected by the Wildlife Department does not indicate the actual boundaries of the park and this can be verified from the topographical information available in the Survey Department. Regarding the remarks made by the writer and his concerns over the construction of anicut across dry rivers needs some explanations. The purpose of such diversion is not to divert the low flow during the dry season, but to divert the flash floods during the wet season. Moreover Kuda Gal Amuna is only the first stage of development of Menik Ganga basin and proposed Weheragala reservoir across Menik Ganga above Kuda Gal Amuna will consolidate the water availability downstream. Construction of diversion canals first and the subsequent augmentation by means of the reservoir was the art of water resources development very well known to our ancient hydraulic civilization which existed even more than 2000 years ago. Therefore concept of water resources development of Menik Ganga is not some thing new. E. I. A. study for Weheragala Reservoir is being done and environmental concerns over Pilinnewa Wetland and water quality aspects of Bundala Lagoon will be adequately addressed in the E. I. A. Let me emphasis the fact the present Irrigation Department focuses on the development of water for multiple use and not only for paddy cultivation. Cultivation of high value crops with irrigation is encouraged by the Irrigation Department. May I draw your attention to the question raised on the issue of paddy cultivation in Kuda Gal Amuna at a time the country is facing an over production of rice. It has to be noted that still we produce only 65% of our cereal requirement and 35% of the cereals are being imported. Therefore paddy production should be further increased and eating three meals of rice and other local grams have to be encouraged. Finally let me highlight an interesting episode in the above referred article where writer has made an attempt to deviate from the normal ethic. In Sri Lanka most of the time officials are normally blamed and criticized for lethargy and delay. The writer's statement "Work was done in a mad hurry" is an instant where officials are blamed for dedication and speedy implementation of a project. Under normal circumstances the work of this nature should have taken 12 to 18 months for completion. At the time of writing this article all the six tanks under the Kuda Gal Amuna Project received water from Menik Ganga during the inter monsoon even before the commencement of NE Monsoon. Now tanks are spilling. Do we need any more testimony to prove whether the project work has been satisfactory completed or to engage on a debate to determine whether Manik Ganga across which the anicut is constructed is a wet river or a dry river. - Jinadasa Nissanka, |
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