Wari Pubuduwa benefits 4 districts
Priyanka KURUGALA
Under the Wari Pubuduwa (Irrigation Awakening) project, the
Irrigation and Water Resources Ministry has planned to completely
rehabilitate 100 water tanks by the end of this year, Minister Nimal
Siripala de Silva, said.
The minister was addressing a special meeting in Kalawewa recently.
The minister also opened one of the rehabilitated irrigation projects. a
He further said the Wari Pubuduwa project would help to uplift the
living standards of about 25,000 farmer families in four districts.
The project is being implemented with the active participation of the
farmers in the area and as a result, their families have also been
strengthened.
The districts are Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Puttalama and Matale.
The project is being funded by a concessionary loan of Rs 5,865
million provided by JICA while the Sri Lankan government has spent Rs
1,172 million. Under the Wari Pubuduwa project, the ministry has drawn
up a plan to rehabilitate and reconstruct 100 reservoirs in the four
districts.
The Nachchaduwa Wewa, Nuwara Wewa, Thisa Wewa, Rajanganaya Wewa,
Palukadawala Wewa, Atharagalla and Magalla Wewa are also included in
this project.
Apart from that, eight main irrigation channels and 80 medium and
small scale irrigation channels in the same districts are to be
developed under the Wari Pubuduwa project. Deputy Irrigation and Water
Resources Minister W.B. Ekanayake said the project will benefit farmer
families and farmer societies in the four districts.
Chief Minister of the North Central province Berty Premalal
Dissanayake said apart from rehabilitating ancient tanks, the government
has introduced alternative income sources for the low income farming
families through this project.
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