Local engineers to handle future constructions
Priyanka KURUGALA
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Irrigation and Water Management Minister Nimal Siripala de
Silva, participating in the inaugural ceremony of the Uva
Paranagama Wekumbura irrigation project. Uva Provincial Council
member A M Buddhadasa and Parliamentarian Chamika Buddhadasa
also participated in the event.
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All future constructions under the Irrigation and Water Management
Ministry, would be done by utilizing the knowledge of Sri Lankan
engineers, Irrigation and Water Management Minister Nimal Siripala de
Silva said, addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Wekumbura Reservoir
in Uva Paranagama recently.
He said the country was knowledgeable in the field of irrigation from
the inception of Sri Lankan's history. However, he said the above
knowledge had been hijacked by colonialism. For the launch of
development programmes, a large amount of foreign exchange had been
spent for the assistance of foreign experts. The ministry has drawn up
plans to change such implementations in the near future, he said.
The minister said that the Irrigation Department had recruited about
200 irrigation engineers, 400 assistant engineers and 500 irrigation
labourers, to meet the targets of the Irrigation Department. In
addition, the ministry had paid their attention to increase the salaries
of irrigation engineers.
The Irrigation Department has commenced the reconstruction programme
for a selected reservoir in each electorate throughout the country.
The Uva Paranagama reservoir has been reconstructed under this
programme, he said.
The ministry has spent a sum of Rs 150 million for the Wekumbura
project. After the inauguration, the minister had released 5,000
fingerlings into the reservoir.
Around 100 paddy hectare could be cultivated under the Uva Paranagama
Wekumbura reservoir project during Yala and Maha seasons.
Around 200 farming families would be strengthened under this project.
Subsidiary crops also could be grown under the Uva Paranagama reservoir
project, he said.
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