Series of development plans targeting irrigation sector

Uditha Kumarasinghe

COLOMBO: The Government has formulated a series of development oriented plans targeting the country's irrigation sector in keeping with modern day needs.

In order to discus the ways of developing the irrigation sector, the Central Coordinating Committee on Irrigation Management chaired by Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Maitripala Sirisena met at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute yesterday.

The Minister told the meeting that the Government as pledged in Mahinda Chintana has given priority to uplift the irrigation sector providing immediate solution to the existing problems affecting the particular sector.

Irrigation plays a major role in the country's agriculture sector. Therefore, under Mahinda Chintana clear guidelines have been formulated to improve the country's irrigation sector, the Minister told the meeting which was attended by all heads of the irrigation sector including Zonal Irrigation Directors, Provincial Secretaries and other key irrigation officials.

The formation of a Central Co-ordinating Committee is more vital to immediately find out solutions to the burning problems in the irrigation sector. The decisions reached by the Committee will be put forward to the Cabinet if the need arises.

During the Committee Meeting, special attention was focused on several key issues in the irrigation sector such as irrigation management and maintenance, irrigation construction and rehabilitation, management of farmer organisations, co-ordination among institutions, water management in major irrigation and river basin development.