Karavahu drainage rehabilitation:

Kalmunai benefiting

Anura MAITIPE

The Re-awakening Project has taken steps to rehabilitate the Karavahu Drainage Scheme in Kalmunai to prevent frequent floods in the Kalmunai area during the rainy season.

The World Bank has granted Rs.1,038 million to implement this project, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009, Project Director P.H. Sugathadasa said.

The completion of this project would enable the re-cultivation of over 4,500 acres of fallow paddy lands. The project would benefit 1,300 farmer families in the area.

Regional Irrigation Director S.L. Mohamed said under this project, several measures have been taken to upgrade the drainage scheme which includes the rehabilitation of the Karavahu left bank, the construction of a three km stretch of road, improvement of Kapallakattu anicut and the improvement of the Uppu and Pavankai earth bunt.

Farmer Organization Chairman Ameer Ali said 4,500 acres of paddy land in this area have been cultivated.

However, since the construction of the Galoya Project in 1956, Karavahu area gets flooded with drainage water from the Galoya left bank. Since that day we were requesting the Governments to provide some remedial solution to this problem.

Therefore we thank the Re-awakening Project and the World Bank for their endeavour to make our dream a reality.

He said there are 1,300 farmer families in Karavahu and each family has their own land. But they are not in a position to engage in paddy cultivation due to the frequent flood situation in the area.

Of the 1,300 acres of paddy land, they were able to cultivate only 250 acres during the last season.