"What we will win from this Moragahakanda Maha Samudra are the lives of people of the North Central Province and those in the North and East. Remember that what we will douse from the waters releazed from Moragahakanda to the North and East is the fire of communalism spread in those two areas by deadly terrorism". (President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the launch of the Moragahakanda Reservoir Project on 25th January 2007).
(July 06, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Moragahakanda - Kalu Ganga Reservoir Project was launched two and a half years ago with the basic objective of solving the pressing problem of insufficient water for irrigation in the North Central Province. On completion, it will eventually increase the waters of the gigantic Kalawewa, Nachchaduwa, Nuwara Wewa, Hurulu Wewa, Mahakanadrawa, Manankattiya, Padaviya, Minneriya, Girithale, Kawdulla, Kantale, Vendrasankulam tanks, providing over 85,000 hectares with an uninterrupted flow of water for agricultural purposes throughout the year. Additionally, it will generate electricity supply to the national grid, and supply the drinking water and industrial water to the Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Matale Districts.
The biggest project
Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Minister, Maithripala Sirisena, revealed these facts when he met a large group of farmer representatives at Naula Divisional Secretariat recently. The meeting has been convened to develop awareness among the farmer representatives about the progress of the project and to discuss their problems openly.
The Minister indicated that the project is progressing according to the set targets. In fact, exceeding the targets! The construction of the Office Complex is already completed. The Kubuiyangaha ela - Elahara Road, of 14 km which partly encircles the Moragahakanda reservoir, including the bridges, culverts and other proposed buildings is nearing completion.
The visitors can now get a clear view of the vast extent of land reserved for the Moragahakanda reservoir. The construction of one Saddle Dam has already commenced. Twelve tanks to provide water to 3,250 hectares of agricultural land under the resettlement program in the Kalu Ganga Basin are under construction.
The Minister explained that the Mahaweli Development project could be considered the largest multi-purpose development program undertaken in Sri Lanka to date. "Once the construction of the Moragahakanda reservoir is completed it will mark the completion of all five major reservoirs under the Mahaweli Development Program", he said.
The commencement of the project was delayed due to various reasons during the last 35 years but considering its national importance for the future generations, Minister Maithripala Sirisena in 2006 took a bold challenge to commence work. He had the blessings of the President.
"By that time, four feasibility studies had been carried out in 1974, 1978, 1997 and in 2004 on the Moragahakanda project and all nitty-gritty problems have been sorted out. This is the biggest project when compared to other Mahaweli projects and it is basically an agriculture development project", he said.
According to Mahaweli Authorities, at some stage after the completion of the project, a supply of 64 million cubic meters of water could be diverted towards meeting the portable and industrial needs in the two provinces from the surface water sources in the Amban ganga basin and its associated tanks and canals. About six times of the water in the Parakrama Samudraya could be stored to irrigate during the dry season.
Talking about the water conveyance system, Chief Resident Engineer, D.B. Wijeratne, said the project consists of a conveyance system consisting of two tunnels and transfer canals and a power house of 20 MW installed capacity. The Kaluganga - Moragahakanda transfer tunnel is of 15 cubic meters per second capacity with a length of 3.2 km and the Bowatenna Tunnel is of 25 cubic metres per second capacity and of 7.2 km in length.
Moragahakanda Reservoir will have a concrete main dam and two rock-filled saddle dams with a height of 65 meters which could store 521 million cubic meters of water. Kaluganga Reservoir is blocked by a rock fill main dam and two saddle dams, one rock fill and the other earth. Its maximum height is 67 metres with an active storage capacity of 144 million cubic metres.
The engineers at the site explained the four direct benefits accruing from the project:
(1). Cropping intensity of the country which varies less than 100 percent to 154 percent in the different areas will be raised to around 181 percent on the average.
The direct benefits include increased rice yield per hectare with an additional agricultural production of 109,000 tons annually
(2). The average annual fish production potential of the reservoir is estimated to be around 4,700 tons per year
(3). An increased supply of water towards meeting the potable and industrial water needs in the districts of Matale, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa from the surface water sources in the Ambanganga basin and its associated tanks and canals
(4). Annual fuel cost savings with the hydropower produced will be around US $ 2.49 annual average. It is also expected that the farmers' income would increase by
80 per cent once the Moragahakanda reservoir project is completed.
Environment
Mahaweli Authorities were concerned with the environmental factors as well and stringent measures have been taken to mitigate the adverse impact on the environment and wildlife.
Reforestation of about 1,365 river/stream reservations in the Moragahakanda catchment area, clearing of elephant corridor between Giritale - Minneriya nature reserve, habitat enrichment in proposed corridor between Wasgamuwa National Park and Victoria - Randenigala - Rantambe Sanctuary, setting up a 100 metre reservation zone around the reservoir an electric fence along the elephant corridor and resettlement of encroaches are some of the steps taken to ensure minimum impact on the environment.
The Mahaweli Minister further said the cost of the construction work on the Moragahakanda and Kalu ganga projects will be USD 570 million and along with the local funds, foreign donors have agreed to finance the project. The Kuwait Fund for Development has already agreed to finance US $ 42 million for basic work. Financial assistance of US $ 21 million from OPEC and US $ 46 million from Saudi Fund for Development are under way.
"In addition, discussions are under way to obtain funds from JAICA for this mega irrigation scheme, and the Government is confident of obtaining over USD 200 million" he said. US$ 21 million pledged by OPEC will be utilized to construct the main canal linking Moragahakanda and Kalu Ganga reservoirs.
Speaking of resettlement program, the Minister further said that the Government has paid full attention to the resettlement of people in the area, since the commencement of the project in January, 2007,"We visited every household, even before the commencement of the project, and talked to these families. They fully understand the importance of this project and are now satisfied with the resettlement arrangements" the Minister said.
According to the Minister, about 2,100 families will need to be resettled due to Moragahakanda-Kaluganga project. "Over 1,500 families will have to be resettled due to the Moragahakanda reservoir, while 600 families will lose their lands due to the Kaluganga reservoir. But the resettlement will need to be done only after a few years, since the commencement of the project. Until then, they can engage in their agriculture activities here," the Minister said.
The project area is located in the Laggala electorate of the Matale District and extends to some parts in the North Central Province.
The most convenient way to approach the area is via Dambulla. Following a few minutes drive along the Dambulla-Kandalama road, one enters the new road built through the Minneriya forest reserve, which leads to Bakamuna, an area which has been benefited by the Mahaweli project.
The project office, which coordinates the construction activities of the Moragahakanda project, is situated a couple of kilometers away from Elahera, a small village by the Amban ganga.
It may be appropriate to end up this story by quoting the parting note of President Mahinda Rajapaksa's address at the launch of the project. "It is my wish that this great victory of Sri Lankan irrigation, that is about the building of a new Sri Lanka, at the dawn of the 21st Century, will be a morning star that ushers in peace and prosperity to our Motherland".
The Nation's wish is also the same.
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