A morning star is born to bring peace and prosperity
Lionel Wijesiri
"What we will win from this Moragahakanda Maha Samudra are the lives
of people of the North Central Province and those in the North and East.
Remember that what we will douse from the waters releazed from
Moragahakanda to the North and East is the fire of communalism spread in
those two areas by deadly terrorism". (President Mahinda Rajapaksa at
the launch of the Moragahakanda Reservoir Project on 25th January 2007).
Moragahakanda - Kalu Ganga Reservoir Project was launched two and a
half years ago with the basic objective of solving the pressing problem
of insufficient water for irrigation in the North Central Province. On
completion, it will eventually increase the waters of the gigantic
Kalawewa, Nachchaduwa, Nuwara Wewa, Hurulu Wewa, Mahakanadrawa,
Manankattiya, Padaviya, Minneriya, Girithale, Kawdulla, Kantale,
Vendrasankulam tanks, providing over 85,000 hectares with an
uninterrupted flow of water for agricultural purposes throughout the
year. Additionally, it will generate electricity supply to the national
grid, and supply the drinking water and industrial water to the
Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Matale Districts.
The Moragahakanda project Picture by Sudam Gunasinhe |
The biggest project
Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Minister, Maithripala
Sirisena, revealed these facts when he met a large group of farmer
representatives at Naula Divisional Secretariat recently. The meeting
has been convened to develop awareness among the farmer representatives
about the progress of the project and to discuss their problems openly.
The Minister indicated that the project is progressing according to
the set targets. In fact, exceeding the targets! The construction of the
Office Complex is already completed. The Kubuiyangaha ela - Elahara
Road, of 14 km which partly encircles the Moragahakanda reservoir,
including the bridges, culverts and other proposed buildings is nearing
completion.
The visitors can now get a clear view of the vast extent of land
reserved for the Moragahakanda reservoir. The construction of one Saddle
Dam has already commenced. Twelve tanks to provide water to 3,250
hectares of agricultural land under the resettlement program in the Kalu
Ganga Basin are under construction.
The Minister explained that the Mahaweli Development project could be
considered the largest multi-purpose development program undertaken in
Sri Lanka to date. "Once the construction of the Moragahakanda reservoir
is completed it will mark the completion of all five major reservoirs
under the Mahaweli Development Program", he said.
The commencement of the project was delayed due to various reasons
during the last 35 years but considering its national importance for the
future generations, Minister Maithripala Sirisena in 2006 took a bold
challenge to commence work. He had the blessings of the President.
"By that time, four feasibility studies had been carried out in 1974,
1978, 1997 and in 2004 on the Moragahakanda project and all nitty-gritty
problems have been sorted out. This is the biggest project when compared
to other Mahaweli projects and it is basically an agriculture
development project", he said.
According to Mahaweli Authorities, at some stage after the completion
of the project, a supply of 64 million cubic meters of water could be
diverted towards meeting the portable and industrial needs in the two
provinces from the surface water sources in the Amban ganga basin and
its associated tanks and canals. About six times of the water in the
Parakrama Samudraya could be stored to irrigate during the dry season.
Talking about the water conveyance system, Chief Resident Engineer,
D.B. Wijeratne, said the project consists of a conveyance system
consisting of two tunnels and transfer canals and a power house of 20 MW
installed capacity. The Kaluganga - Moragahakanda transfer tunnel is of
15 cubic meters per second capacity with a length of 3.2 km and the
Bowatenna Tunnel is of 25 cubic metres per second capacity and of 7.2 km
in length.
Moragahakanda Reservoir will have a concrete main dam and two
rock-filled saddle dams with a height of 65 meters which could store 521
million cubic meters of water. Kaluganga Reservoir is blocked by a rock
fill main dam and two saddle dams, one rock fill and the other earth.
Its maximum height is 67 metres with an active storage capacity of 144
million cubic metres.
The engineers at the site explained the four direct benefits accruing
from the project: (1). Cropping intensity of the country which varies
less than 100 percent to 154 percent in the different areas will be
raised to around 181 percent on the average.
The direct benefits include increased rice yield per hectare with an
additional agricultural production of 109,000 tons annually (2). The
average annual fish production potential of the reservoir is estimated
to be around 4,700 tons per year (3). An increased supply of water
towards meeting the potable and industrial water needs in the districts
of Matale, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa from the surface
water sources in the Ambanganga basin and its associated tanks and
canals (4). Annual fuel cost savings with the hydropower produced will
be around US $ 2.49 annual average. It is also expected that the
farmers' income would increase by
President Mahinda Rajapaksa |
Minister Maithripala Sirisena |
80 per cent once the Moragahakanda
reservoir project is completed.
Environment
Mahaweli Authorities were concerned with the environmental factors as
well and stringent measures have been taken to mitigate the adverse
impact on the environment and wildlife.
Reforestation of about 1,365 river/stream reservations in the
Moragahakanda catchment area, clearing of elephant corridor between
Giritale - Minneriya nature reserve, habitat enrichment in proposed
corridor between Wasgamuwa National Park and Victoria - Randenigala -
Rantambe Sanctuary, setting up a 100 metre reservation zone around the
reservoir an electric fence along the elephant corridor and resettlement
of encroaches are some of the steps taken to ensure minimum impact on
the environment.
The Mahaweli Minister further said the cost of the construction work
on the Moragahakanda and Kalu ganga projects will be USD 570 million and
along with the local funds, foreign donors have agreed to finance the
project. The Kuwait Fund for Development has already agreed to finance
US $ 42 million for basic work. Financial assistance of US $ 21 million
from OPEC and US $ 46 million from Saudi Fund for Development are under
way.
"In addition, discussions are under way to obtain funds from JAICA
for this mega irrigation scheme, and the Government is confident of
obtaining over USD 200 million" he said. US$ 21 million pledged by OPEC
will be utilized to construct the main canal linking Moragahakanda and
Kalu Ganga reservoirs.
Speaking of resettlement program, the Minister further said that the
Government has paid full attention to the resettlement of people in the
area, since the commencement of the project in January, 2007,"We visited
every household, even before the commencement of the project, and talked
to these families. They fully understand the importance of this project
and are now satisfied with the resettlement arrangements" the Minister
said.
According to the Minister, about 2,100 families will need to be
resettled due to Moragahakanda-Kaluganga project. "Over 1,500 families
will have to be resettled due to the Moragahakanda reservoir, while 600
families will lose their lands due to the Kaluganga reservoir. But the
resettlement will need to be done only after a few years, since the
commencement of the project. Until then, they can engage in their
agriculture activities here," the Minister said.
The project area is located in the Laggala electorate of the Matale
District and extends to some parts in the North Central Province.
The most convenient way to approach the area is via Dambulla.
Following a few minutes drive along the Dambulla-Kandalama road, one
enters the new road built through the Minneriya forest reserve, which
leads to Bakamuna, an area which has been benefited by the Mahaweli
project.
The project office, which coordinates the construction activities of
the Moragahakanda project, is situated a couple of kilometers away from
Elahera, a small village by the Amban ganga.
It may be appropriate to end up this story by quoting the parting
note of President Mahinda Rajapaksa's address at the launch of the
project. "It is my wish that this great victory of Sri Lankan
irrigation, that is about the building of a new Sri Lanka, at the dawn
of the 21st Century, will be a morning star that ushers in peace and
prosperity to our Motherland".
The Nation's wish is also the same. |