Land Settlement in Sri Lanka - !840-1975 (ARTI Publication)

 

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Mahaweli Scheme - Chronology of Important Events

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  Mahaweli Scheme – Chronology of Important Events "575-608 A. D. King Aggabodhi I developed the Manimekhala Dam - anicut across the Mahaweli Ganga at Minipe along with improvements to about 17 miles of the Minipe Ela Scheme, built earlier." This was the first time that the Mahaweli Ganga was harnessed for agricultural purposes. "853-887 A. D. King Sena II extended the Minipe Ela Scheme to a total length of 47 miles when an augmentation scheme was also provided to Mahakandarawa Tank by a dam near Maradankadewela." 1920s  K. Balasingham, a member of the Legislative Council proposed that waters of the  Mahaweli be used for agriculture . 1938   D. S. Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake, C. P. De Silva and J. R. Jayawardene discussed the  possible diversion of the Mahaweli  on a river bank near Polonnaruwa. "1939, February-March Mahaweli Ganga was harnessed for the first time in recent years by the restoration of the Minipe Anicut ." 1941, February 22 D. S. Senanaya...
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Commencement of the Mahaweli Scheme - Engr. S. Arumugam. Mahaweli Authority, UNDP/FAO, CBSL

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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...
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Historical Background - Mahaweli Authority and Others

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From the Website of the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka Images inserted later Courtesy : Engr. Sudharma Elakanda   Historical Background  The original idea of diverting the Mahaweli Ganga was very much in the minds of our ancients. They diverted it at Minipe, Kalinga, and Kandekadu along the main river. They also diverted the main branch of the Mahaweli, namely, the Ambanganga , at Elahera and Angamadilla. They were in a position to do so at that time using the river water to cultivate vast acreages of paddy since the flow was copious, with the upper catchment being well forested. The lesson we learn is that we should emulate the wisdom of the ancients by encouraging the reforestation of the upper catchment rather than building new dams like Upper Kotmale. They had even diverted the waters across basins from the Amban ganga to the Kala Oya Basin. This trans basin diversion was achieved by diverting the spill waters from a dam at Demata Oya in the catchment of Amban Ganaga to t...
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