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| Thursday, 1 January 2004 |
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Kantale dam in danger With reference to our news story under the above title which appeared in the Daily News of December 31, 2003, Secretary, Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management has sent us a letter stating that there is no danger to the bund by allowing heavy vehicles to travel on the road. The Ministry Secretary also says that following complaints by Farmer Organisations, Irrigation and Water Management Minister had instructed officials to carry out detailed surveys, and submit recommendations. "A number of teams consisting of senior engineers of the Irrigation Department and other institutions under the ministry carried out investigations independently and they have reported that there is no danger to the bund by allowing heavy vehicles to travel on the road," the letter further says. The letter continued: "However, as a precaution they have recommended to reduce the speed of vehicles and the ministry has already instructed the Senior Superintendent of the Police Kantale not to allow vehicles to go over the bund at a speed above 20 km/h. The police has already taken action and the notices are erected either side of the bund and they are taking action to control the speed. Water seepage at the base of the dam was observed many years before the heavy vehicles started using the bund road. More than 10 years back, Irrigation Department experts inspected and observed that the seepage was not a threat to the safety of the dam and they directed the Kantale Irrigation Officers to monitor the seepage flow and report to the headoffice. So far no appreciable change in the seepage flow has been observed. This indicates that the seepage has stabilised and no remedial measures are required. "I would like to take this opportunity to bring to your notice that the Ministry, Irrigation Department and the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka are concerned about the safety of the dams managed by this Ministry and as well as institutions like the Ceylon Electricity Board and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board. A special program has been launched for the Dam Safety with the assistance of the World Bank under Mahaweli Restructuring and Rehabilitation Program. The foreign consultancy firm who were involved in the construction of Mahaweli dams has been recruited to study the present conditions of the dams and they have completed the study with regard to 32 dams including Kantale dam. A Dam Safety Unit under the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka and a National Dam Safety Committee under the chairmanship of Director General Irrigation have been established. Therefore, I would like to report to you that the Ministry has taken all possible action to protect major dams in Sri Lanka." |
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