Fallow paddy lands to be re-cultivated in Kalutara

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Agriculture Ministry has made arrangements to re-cultivate 700 acres of fallow paddy lands in the Kalutara district under the Government's nation building exercise which has targeted the renovation of 1310 tanks and anicuts by the end of this year.

On the directive of Agriculture, Public Security, Law and Order Minister and Deputy Defence Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, two tanks and six anicuts in Horana and Ingiriya will be rehabilitated at an estimated cost of Rs.3.4 million under the Government's tanks rehabilitation project.

The rehabilitation of these tanks and anicuts will facilitate the cultivation of over 700 acres of paddy lands in both Yala and Maha seasons which come under the purview of Horana and Ingiriya Agrarian Service divisions. All these renovation activities are to be completed by the end of November this year, Horana SLFP Organiser Vidura Wickramanayake said. He made these observations at the inaugural ceremony of the renovation of tanks and anicuts in Kalutara district recently. Wickramanayake ceremonially commenced the reconstruction work of Egodawatta anicut, Handupelpola.

Wickramanayake said that in order to achieve a sustainable development of the country, development plans should be implemented on a national policy. Collaborative attempts should be made to implement development plans without attempting to take political advantages.

"It is not a good thing to make comments to take political advantages saying that we are the only one who work for the development of agriculture just only renovating tanks and anicuts. Every Government and Agriculture Minister elected after independence made some attempts to develop the agriculture. However, the country's agriculture was developed very lethargically due to various shortcomings of plans formulated."

He said although the country has passed over 50 years after the independence, still we have failed to produce the entire rice production locally. We have imported rice form various countries. Therefore, the sole intention of the Government is to develop the agriculture sphere through the renovation of the country's derelict tanks and anicuts.

Wickramanayake said the farmer community has various problems which have not yet been settled, specially relating to irrigation. When attempts are being made to renovate such irrigation networks, it is the responsibility of the farmer community to preserve such irrigation schemes.

Representatives of farmer organisations who participated in the inaugural ceremony said they highly appreciated the initiatives taken by the Government to renovate 1,310 tanks and anicuts during this year which was a long felt need of the farmer community in the area.

Farmers in the Kalutara district have faced a severe shortage of water due to the irregular functioning of irrigation systems.