Save every drop of water for development - Minister
Nimal Wijesinghe - Anuradhapura Additional District
group corr
"It is President Mahinda Rajapaksa's intention to save every drop of
rain water for development without letting it go waste. On par with this
concept, the waters of Yanoya flowing into the sea without being
utilised is diverted to the region in Horowpothana for the benefit of
farmers," Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal
Siripala de Silva said.
He was speaking at the commissioning of the Yan oya Ellapothana
anicut scheme on June 28.
The minister opened the main sluice gates of the right bank canal of
the Yanoya Ellapothana anicut project amid seth pirith chanted by the
Maha Sangha, in the presence of ministers S M Chandrasena, Tissa
Karalliyadda Deputy Minister W B Ekanayake and former North Central
Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake.
Minister de Silva said: "The Ellapothana anicut scheme was completed
within two years at a cost of Rs 300 million, by local engineers and
staff without depending on foreign funds and expertise. Under the right
bank canal 11 canals would be filled with Yanoya water to enable farmers
to cultivate around 3500 acres both in Yala and Maha seasons.
"It has been planned to extend the left bank canal up to Padaviya
covering nearly 20 small tanks to a distance of 30 kilos to join the
Mora oya."
"We have planned to initiate the construction work of the proposed
Wahalkada Yanoya reservoir over the downstream of Yanoya which will have
a water water capacity of 185,000 acute feel," he said.
"If the Moragahakanda reservoir project is completed, neither the
Kalawewa nor Giritale tanks would run dry.
The Moragahakanda reservoir project will be completed within two
years. It is President Rajapaksa's ambition to convert Rajarata into a
zone with no water scarcity, he said.
The minister presented a memento to Irrigation Director General Dr G
G A Godaliyedda in appreciation of his service to the irrigational
promotion activities for nearly four decades. |
