Priyanka KURUGALA
Under the Wari Pubuduwa (Irrigation Awakening) project, the Irrigation and Water Resources Ministry has planned to completely rehabilitate 100 water tanks by the end of this year, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, said.
The minister was addressing a special meeting in Kalawewa recently. The minister also opened one of the rehabilitated irrigation projects.
He further said the Wari Pubuduwa project would help to uplift the living standards of about 25,000 farmer families in four districts.
The project is being implemented with the active participation of the farmers in the area and as a result, their families have also been strengthened.
The districts are Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Puttalama and Matale.
The project is being funded by a concessionary loan of Rs 5,865 million provided by JICA while the Sri Lankan government has spent Rs 1,172 million. Under the Wari Pubuduwa project, the ministry has drawn up a plan to rehabilitate and reconstruct 100 reservoirs in the four districts.
The Nachchaduwa Wewa, Nuwara Wewa, Thisa Wewa, Rajanganaya Wewa, Palukadawala Wewa, Atharagalla and Magalla Wewa are also included in this project.
Apart from that, eight main irrigation channels and 80 medium and small scale irrigation channels in the same districts are to be developed under the Wari Pubuduwa project. Deputy Irrigation and Water Resources Minister W.B. Ekanayake said the project will benefit farmer families and farmer societies in the four districts.
Chief Minister of the North Central province Berty Premalal Dissanayake said apart from rehabilitating ancient tanks, the government has introduced alternative income sources for the low income farming families through this project.
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