Friday Apr 19, 2024
Friday Apr 19, 2024
Wednesday, 10 January 2018 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
“With the completion of the Moragahakanda-Kalu Ganga development project a significant transformation will take place in the culture of the farming community of the country as well as a great strengthening to the national economy,” said President Maithripala Sirisena.
The President also proposed to name the Moragahakanda Reservoir in honour of internationally renowned late Civil Engineer A.N.S. Kulasinghe.
He made these remarks addressing the ‘Saalis Wasaraka Mahaweli Asiriya’ national ceremony held near the Polgolla Dam, Monday (8).
With the completion of Moragahakanda Reservoir, the ‘Five Mega Reservoirs’ under Mahaweli program culminates after four decades since Mahaweli water was first diverted to Rajarata from Polgolla on 8 January 1976. The ‘Saalis Wasaraka Mahaweli Asiriya’ national ceremony was organised to mark the successful completion of the Mahaweli development project.
President Sirisena further said that Mahaweli development program is a significant development project of the Sri Lankan irrigation history, which the whole nation honours. The project which commenced in the end of 1960s rendered a great service for the economic development of the country while initiating mega development process across the country.
“In the same manner an agricultural revival emerges in the country as a result of the implementation of the Moragahakanda-Kalu Ganga development project, a broad development in the fields of fisheries as well as supplying clean drinking water will take place,” the President said adding that a solution can be found for the people living in Rajarata suffering from kidney disease by supplying clean drinking water facility for them.
The President said that the project was to completed five years ago, but owing to the misuse of the political culture that then prevailed in the country, the completion of the project was delayed and further said that it is a great victory under the present government that the project was completed expeditiously.
The President also expressed his gratitude for all the persons who contributed their service for the successful completion of this project.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the entire credit of completion of the Moragahakanda development project should go to the President as he continuously struggled to ensure the implementation of the project. The Prime Minister said President Sirisena had to struggle for a longer period for this project than the time taken for the all other four phases of the Mahaweli development project.
President Sirisena also presented awards for the winners of the bicycles race organised to mark the ‘Saalis Wasaraka Mahaweli Asiriya’ national ceremony.
The Maha Sangha of the Tri-Nikaya, other religious leaders, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ministers and MPs, local and foreign dignitaries and others participated in this national ceremony.
