The Mahaweli Scheme - A Compilation

Extract from Water Resources of Ceylon by Engr. S. Armugam 1969  Investigations for Development Three Teams of engineers and other specialists investigated various aspects of the development that could be undertaken utilising the water resources of the Mahaweli Ganga.   USOM Team A team from the U.S.O.M. was assigned the task of investigating the most suitable means of augmenting water supplies to the (Dry Zone) areas of the North Central Province with the Mahaweli water. This was done in collaboration with the Irrigation Department, during 1958-1961. Their report, which was published in 1961, out- lined a scheme to divert 2500 cusecs of the Mahaweli flow at Prim- rose in Kandy and convey the discharge in a lined canal to assure double cropping of 97,000 acres of existing paddy land and open- ing up 155,000 acres of undeveloped land. The plans included four hydro-power stations with installed capacities of 120 MW., 45 MW., 45 MW., and 33 MW. The construction cost of th...

  Stage 1 First Mahaweli Ganga Development Project WB Report 30 December 1969 Abstract This report contains the appraisal of the project which consists of Stage I of the first scheme of the Mahaweli Ganga Development Program. The project includes the diversion of Mahaweli Ganga water, at Polgolla, to augment irrigation supplies to 126,700 ac (cultivated) of land located in two areas in the dry zone, and the installation of a hydro-electric power plant of 40 MW capacity at Polgolla. Provision is made for the on- farm development of 4,000 ac of sugarcane and for feasibility studies required for subsequent stages of the scheme under the Mahaweli Ganga Development Program. Major construction works required for the full development of the area would need to be carried out under this first stage. Mahaweli Ganga Development Project 30 December,1969 https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/936631468114861460/pdf/multi0page.pdf#:~:text=This%20report%20contains%20the%20appraisal,Mahaweli%...

1979 February 4 Construction work on the Kotmale Dam, the first of the Mahaweli Dams under the Accelerated Mahaweli Scheme, commenced and the Project was launched by President J. R. Jayawardena. Kotmale Dam and Reservoir Extract from a FAO Report on the Mahaweli Basin https://www.fao.org/4/x6861e/x6861e10.htm 5.4 The accelerated Mahaweli development The first project of Phase I under the UNDP/FAO Master Plan was completed in 1976. The country was faced with steep inflation in 1973, primarily due to the oil price hike. The government changed in 1977, when 40% of the country's import bill was being spent on food imports and unemployment was in the region of 20% of the normal workforce (Anon., 1978). The rapidly rising inflation also indicated that the later the date of completion of the scheme, the higher would be the ultimate cost. According to one estimate the construction cost could double over a delay of eight years.  It was in the light of this situation that the new government ...

  Meeting on 29 November 1977 - Mr. Rajendra Coomaraswamy & Others Meeting on 25 July, 1978 - Professor W. S. Karunaratne, Ambassador Meeting on 12 October. 1978 Hon. Ronnie de Mel Meeting on 5 December 1978 -Hon. Ronnie de Mel Letter of 22.1.80 from World Bank to President Jayawardena Meeting on 28 February 1980 Hon. Ronnie de Mel Meeting on 4 December 1980 - Hon. Gamini Dissanayake