Programme to cultivate abandoned paddy lands

AGALAWATTE: A programme to asweddumaize 2,100 acres of paddy land on the right Bentara Ganga Right bank in the Agalawatte electorate abandoned due to salinity, has been launched by the Agrarian Services and Farmer Community Development Ministry.

Minister S.M. Chandrasena told a conference at his Ministry that Rs. 5 million has been set apart for the first stage of the project.

The Ministry would allocate another Rs. 5 million for the second stage of this project which will be implemented during the 2006/2007 Maha season.

It was revealed at the meeting that this tract of paddy land had been covered with a thick layer of sediment due to inflow of seawater. This had even posed a threat to the tea, cinnamon and banana plantations in the area.

Once this project is implemented it would once again re-open this tract for paddy cultivation and protect the other cash crop plantations too from the current environmental threat. The meeting was attended by Western Provincial Council Chairman Ranjith Somawansa and Provincial Council members.