Moneragala epitomizing all-round infrastructure growth
Moneragala is the second largest district in
the island surrounded by Ampara district from the North and East,
Hambantota district from the South, Badulla district from West and
North,and Ratnapura district from the South East
The district which has inherited a civilization of one hundred
thousand paddy fields is also renowned as Wellassa. It is in this
district at the place called Maligawila that one can find the world
famous Avalokineshwara Buddha Statue which had been entirely sculptured
from a rock and stands without any external support.
The consists Buduruwagala, Yudanganawa shrine, Dematamal temple,
Kirivehera, Maligawila Budda Statue, ancient Temple of Galmatimandiya as
the main places of worship. The Kataragama Holy Site, which is sacred to
Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians, has made the district well
known all over the world.
Although the district is situated in a wet intermediate climatic
zone, 70% of the areas in the district possess a dry zone environment.
The annual rainfall amounts to 1625 mm and the annual medium temperature
amounts to 26 degree centigrade.
The total population of the district amounts to 420,000 persons and
majority of them live in villages. The village population amounts to
98%. Estate population amounts to 2% and there is no signification % of
urban population as such. 94% of the population is Sinhalese. The
population density amounts to 1:72 sq.km.
There are 11 District Development Secretarial Divisions in the
District, namely Moneragala, Badalkumbura, Siyambalanduwa, Bibile,
Medagama, Madulla, Buttala, Wellawaya, Thanamalvila, Sevanagala and
Kataragama.
The population in the Wellawaya District Development Secretarial
Division amounts to 53,659 persons, and which is the highest populated
area in the district. Over 40% of the people in this Secretariat
Division are recipients of Samurdhi assistance.
Factory complex |
In the Sevanagala Secretariat Division 23.91% of the population
receive Samurdhi assistance. There are 319 Grama Niladhari Divisions
within the district covering 1324 villages. In order to streamline
administrative activities there are 17 Farmers Centres, 10 Pradeshiya
Sabhas and 12 Police Stations within the district.
Majority of areas in the district come under forest cover.
Accordingly there are 116,588.31 hectares of thick forests, 89,422.8
hectares of open forests, and 6,517.33 hectares of cultivated forests in
the districts. The area under irrigation amounts to 14,816.60 hectares.
There is another extent of 5,260.70 hectares cultivated with rain water.
There are 872.52 hectares of tea land, 12,579.93 hectares under
coconut cultivation and 6.31 hectares cultivated with cinnamon.
Village Development
The first development village established under Mahindana Chintana
Village Development Scheme was the Jayamini Gama. This village which was
a very remote and extremely backward village in past has become today as
a village provided with maximum facilities.
Road rebuilding |
Sri Lanka Samurdhi Authority and Nation Building Ministry as the
Planning Ministry provided funds for development of Jayamini Gama.
The allocation of funds covered Rs.3,238,557 for educational
development, Rs. 1,095,271 for electricity supplies, Rs.852,710 for Road
Development and Rs. 8,043,455 for water supply schemes.
Further, Rs.2,857,500 was provided for housing development activities
with the objective of alleviating the housing problem, Rs.723,142 for
development of marketing facilities of produce accrued from the village,
Rs 7,923,830 for development of irrigation facilities, Rs.256,080 for
construction healthy latrines, Rs.908,650 for development of
pre-schools, Rs.175,000 for construction of e-centres with the objective
of introducing information technology to the village, Rs.375,000 for
agricultural development, Rs.200,000 for construction of Cooperative
buildings, Rs.1,850,000 for construction of the Divisional Secretariat
building, Rs.750,000 for construction of a seed marketing centre, and
Rs.543,700 for development of employment avenues were expended for
development of this village, the Jayamini Gama.
The Gama Neguma Project has assumed a special place naturally because
98% of the population in the district lives in villages.
The initial village development project has become one of the model
village development project with the development of several other
villages throughout the district. One such project was the development
of the Thenagallanda village. This village with the provision of all
necessary facilities has become upgraded to the status of sub-township.
Bridge reconstruction |
The government spent Rs.4,365,385.95 for the development roads, Rs.
3,380,000 for supply of electricity, Rs. 460,000 for development of
employment avenues, Rs. 378,180 for agricultural development,
Rs.1,400,000 for the construction of Village Secretariat Office,
Rs.25,000 for development of Daham Pasals in this village.
Rohanapura Indunilpura in the Thanamalvila Divisional Secretariat
Division is another village that was given life under the Gama Neguma
project.
Before the launch of the Gama Neguma Scheme, this village situated in
the southern corner of the Thanamalvilla division was a very remote and
backward village.
The government has spent Rs.2,431,223.74 for road development in this
village, Rs.14,502,247 for electricity development, and Rs.400,000 for
construction of Nena Sela of this village. A further sum of Rs.100,000
was provided under the second stage to complete shortcomings in road
development.
Another village so developed was the Polgahagama village in the
Madulla Divisional Secretariat Division. There are 184 families living
in this village.
The government spent Rs.2,000,00 for road developments in the
village, Rs.9,846,540 was spent for qualitative improvement of
electricity supplies, Rs.1,471,443.14 was expended for the construction
of the multi-functional building, Rs.1,043,105.17 for the construction
of the village Secretariat office, and Rs.94,000 for agricultural
development.
Newly laid concrete road |
Another beautiful village so developed was the Hittawelkivula in the
Medagama Divisional Secretariat Division. The government spent
Rs.826,447 for road developments in this village, Rs.50,000 for water
supply, Rs.448,500 for Irrigation development, and Rs.1,000,000 for
construction of Jana Sabha Secretariat Division. For the second stage
road improvement activities a further sum of Rs.1,983,886 was spent. In
the Bulapitiya village of the Bibile Divisional Secretariat Division
Rs.588,000 was spent for road construction work, and Rs.1,090,736 was
spent for the construction of the Jana Saba Secretariat office. These
sums were spent for the benefit of 145 families living in this village.
Development of Schools
Moneragala district is a combination of three educational zones. The
educational divisions of Bibile, Madulla, and Medagama come under the
Bibile educational zone. There are 23 schools in the Bibile education
division, 22 schools in the Madulla educational division and 28 schools
in the Medagama educational division. Moneragala, Siyambalanduwa, and
Badalkumbura educational divisions come under the Moneragala educational
zone. There are 31 schools in the Moneragala education division, 33
schools in the Siyambalanduwa educational division and 38 schools in the
Badalkumbura educational division. Wellawaya, Buttala, Thanamalvila,
Sevanagala, and Kataraga educational divisions come under the Wellawaya
educational zone. Respectively there are 29,33, 16, 15, and 4 schools in
these educational divisions.
Majority of students in the district receive their education in
Siyambalanduwa, Buttala, and Wellawaya educational divisions, and the
total student population in the district amounts to 97,684. The teaching
staff in the district amounts to 5,085. On an average the district has a
teacher/student ratio of one teacher for each 20 student. It was
possible to reduce the teach/student ratio to this level because when
40,000 Graduate Teachers were recruited most of them were assigned to
districts which were considered as remote and backward schools in the
country.
In the provision of information technological facilities to
fully-fledged schools, the government paid a special attention to the
Moneragala district.
Development of Health Facilities
Health facilities in the district cover one General/District
Hospital, 9 Rural Hospitals, 1 Central Dispensary, 7 Ayurvedic Clinics,
and 5 Maternity Homes. The government has been able to raise the health
and nutrient standards of the people in the district because it has
provided 32 Public Health Inspectors, 161 Family Health Service Officers
to serve in the 11 District Divisional Secretariat Divisions in the
District. www.developments.lk |