Provincial Irrigation Director shoots down Weerawila airport project

Raja Waidyasekera, Tissamaharama special corr.

TISSAMAHARAMA: The Provincial Irrigation Director Hambantota N.S. Wijesekera said that he is opposed to the setting up of proposed Airport at Weerawila for several reasons.

He said so addressing the monthly District Agriculture Committee meeting held at the Chief Minister's office at Hambantota presided over by G.A. Hambantota M.A. Piyasena.

The following are the observations he made producing a document relating to the issue. He said an extent of 1,000 hectares of paddy lands which give bumper harvests have to be abandoned as a result of the proposed Airport at Weerawila.

The proposed area is to come under the purview of a major irrigation complex and was developed step by step for the past twenty five years utilising a colossal sum of money.

This area also comes under the purview of Lunugamwehera Irrigation and Settlement Project. After the setting up of the Lunugamwehera Irrigation and Settlement Project 18 seasons were cultivated out of 36 seasons.

The motive behind the ongoing Weheragala reservoir is also the same.

With the proposed Uma Oya reservoir project a large quantity of water would be released to the Lunugamwehera reservoir.

With the restrictions imposed by the Forest Conservation, Wild life Conservation and the Department of Archaeology the lands remaining for paddy cultivations have been restricted.

It was the bounden duty of the Department of Irrigation to conserve and protect the extent of 2,70,000 hectares of land in Hambantota district. As such the Department of Irrigation opposed this proposal to set up the Airport at Weerawila.

The plan under the Ruhunupura programme was set up the Airport at a place in close proximity to Kuda Oya not Weerawila. As such the Department of Irrigation opposes the setting up of the proposed airport at Weerawila.