Yan Oya construction to begin in August

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional District Group Corr

Construction work of the proposed Yan Oya reservoir project is due to begin during the August-September period.

Anuradhapura District Irrigation Director Engineer Lalith de Alwis said that no sooner the EIAR (Environmental Impact Assessment Report) has been received the preliminary infrastructure work as a prerequisite to the head work components construction will commence.

The proposed reservoir site is located 350 km North East from Colombo in Anuradhapura district in Horowpothana electorate close to Wahalkada reservoir at Pangurugaswewa village. The reservoir would be constructed with a dam across Yan Oya, which is flowing from the Ritigala area to meet the sea at Palmuddai. The earthen dam of the proposed reservoir is 2.35 km and there will be three saddle dams, each is extending to 500 meters. The other main components an the main left bank and right bank canals. Which are running for 20.3 and 15.0 km respectively.

District Irrigation Director Alwis said that the proposed reservoirs capacity would be 205,000 acre feet. The estimated cost to be is around Rs 9,000 million. It is expected to complete the construction work within three years.

Around 10,000 acres of forested land would get submerged due to the proposed reservoir and nearly 500 families would be evacuated from the site.

They will be resettled in 1,000 acres along the banks of downstream area with all basic infrastructural facilities being provided. Alwis said that 36 rural tanks come under left bank and 29 such tanks along the Right bank will get irrigational water during both Yala and Maha seasons once the reservoir has been completed. Some of these tanks are such as Diviellegama Wewa, Hiralla Wewa, Jayathi Wewa, Olu Wewa, Omarakada Wewa, Anandhan Kulam, Kalikotta Kulam, Iththi-Muruppu Kulam Veddhu Kulam, Wattika Parapu Kulam, Kuda Wewa, Kugatiya Penna Wewa, Kuda Thimbiri Wewa, Kohombagas Wewa, Nebada Wewa, Maila Wewa and Helamba Wewa.

It is envisaged to cater to around 15,000 acres under the LB and RB main canals.

The government has negotiated with China to get financial patronage to construct the proposed reservoir.