DEDURU OYA PROJECT WILL
FACILITATE HARVESTING IN
BOTH SEASONS...........
Work on the Deduru Oya project is proceeding as scheduled and the release of water will take place in march next year. Under the first stage of the project, water will be released to about 6,000 acres for cultivation in the next Yala season. The objective of the whole project is to provide irrigation facilities to about 15,000 acres, for harvesting in both seasons.
Farming is the main livelihood of 70% of people in the North Western Province. The main problem faced by these people is lack of water facilities, and due to this, cultivation is being done in only one harvest season. The government inaugurated this project in 2007 by building a dam of 2 .4 Km across Deduru Oya at Minuwangete. The height of the dam is twenty meters and it can store 63,000 acre feet of water. The left bank canal of 44 Km extends up to Kolamune oya , which will fertile Wariyapola, Nikaweratiya, Panduwasnuwara and Bingiriya areas. The 33 Km right bank canal will fertile Yapahuwa, Nikaweratiya, Anamaduwa and Puttalam areas. 50,000 families will benefit from this project.
The Minister of Irrigation Mr. Nimal Siripala De Silva inspected the progress of this project recently. The project is being implemented utilizing local engineering technology. The Minister also laid the foundation stone for the 1.5 mega watt electricity project, which will be added to the national electricity grid upon completion. People evacuated from the reservoir area is now being settled in new land. The Minister has instructed the relevant officials to provide facilities for the people who have not so far received lands. Minister S B Navinna, Deputy Minister Indika Bandaranayake and Parliamentarian Tharanath Basnayake also associated the Minister in the inspection tour.
