Compensation paid to families who lost homes to Broadlands Hydropower Project

Friday, 12 April 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Provision of compensation to the families who lost their homes due to the construction of the Broadlands Hydropower Plant took place on Wednesday with the participation of Power, Energy, and Business Development Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

At the occasion, 28 displaced families were paid Rs. 134 million as compensation.

Minister Ravi Karunanayake, who had visited the Broadlands area to inquire into the recent restive situation due to the failure to pay compensation to the families displaced for years, had promised to pay compensation before the Sinhala & Tamil New Year.

The 35 megawatt Broadlands Hydropower plant over the Kelani River at Kithulgala is constructed by the Chinese government-owned China National Electric Equipment Corporation, while its consultancy and monitoring is conducted by the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau of Sri Lanka.

The total estimated cost of the project is $ 82 million and was partially financed by a $69.7 million loan from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. The balance is financed by the Hatton National Bank of Sri Lanka.

The Broadlands project is the last plant in the Lakshapana cascade power station complex on the Kelani River system, which was started 50 years ago. The project was due to be complete and connected to the grid by 2014, however construction only began in July 2013. At present, 60% of the construction is completed and the entire project is expected to be completed in 2020.

The construction of the Broadlands Hydropower Plant could prevent 88,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. It is a unique feature that the project is Sri Lanka’s first large-scale hydropower plant associated with the Clean Development Mechanism established under the International Kyoto Protocol.

After the completion of the project, plans have been prepared to construct an energy park, including a hydropower museum in the area expecting the area to become a tourist attraction. (ColomboPage)