President to inaugurate renovation of 2,400 rural tanks

• Second stage of Wayamba Ela to commence tomorrow  

The inauguration ceremony for the renovation of 2,400 rural tanks connected with Ellanga Gammana or the Cascaded Tank Village System in the dry zone and the commencement of the Second Stage of the Wayamba Ela will be held under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at 10.00 a.m. in the premises of the Kubukulawa Tank, Polpithigama.

The Cascaded Tank-Village system was designated a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The Cascaded Tank-Village System is a connected series of tanks organised within a micro-catchment of the dry zone landscape, storing, conveying and utilising water from an ephemeral rivulet. It is an ancient, widely-used and unique traditional agriculture system. The system provides water for irrigation, domestic purposes, animals and ecosystems. 

This project has been implemented under the guidance of President Maithripala Sirisena, with the aim of nourishing the field of agriculture utilising this agrarian system. Under this program, around 300 tanks will be renovated in the Kurunegala District. 

Meanwhile, President Sirisena will inaugurate Stage II of the Wayamba Ela Project. Under this scheme, waters from the Mahaweli will be diverted from the Eastern Province to the Northern Province.

The issue of not having sufficient water for cultivation during the Yala-Maha seasons for the farmer community in the North Western Province and the people of the area contracting kidney diseases due to the lack of clean water will be provided with permanent solutions, where after the completion of the project, water from the Mahaweli river can be provided to the Pollpithigama, Ahatuwewa, Galgamuwa, Mahawa and Ambanpola areas of the Kurunegala District. 

The estimated cost of this project is Rs. 16,000 million and it is slated to be completed in 2024. Under the project, 12,500 hectares of lands will be developed and irrigational water will be provided for 13,500 farmer families. 40,000 families will benefit from this project.

Through the Wayambe Ela project, irrigational water will be securely provided to the Galewela, Wamedilla, and Dewahuwa reservoirs of the Matale District of the Central Province as well as 315 small reservoirs and 88 main reservoirs in Mee Oya, Hakwatuna Oya and Kala Oya zones of the North Western Province will be sustained by the water of the Mahaweli River. The main canal built in order to channel the water is 92 km in length where the water of the Mahaweli River crossing from  the Lenadora Dambulu River will be channelled to the left bank of the Wamedilla Canal and then towards the Mahakithula and Maha kiri Ula reservoirs.

Then the water will be channelled through two canals from the Mahakiri Ula Reservoir to Kaduruwewa in the Ahatuwewa area with 21 km in length and towards the Madiyawa Maha wewa through the Maha Kitula Reservoir with 20 km in length through such a canal to the expected water residing areas. 

In addition, water will be provided to 1,000 hectares of farmlands which were suffering from a lack of water in the Yapahuwa area from the Madiyawa Canal to the Yapahuwa Canal which is 10 km in length. When this water is provided the farmlands of those areas will be able to cultivate during both the Yala and Maha seasons where it will also help uplift the lives of the farmer community of the area.