Reservoir neglect heightens farmer plight - minister

Priyanka KURUGALA

Irrigation and Water Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said if small scale reservoirs had been renovated, farmers would have been able to cope with the prevailing drought.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva unveils a name board after inaugurating renovation programmes of six tanks in the Mahaweli G Zone.

"The renovation of small scale water reservoirs had been delayed for a long time resulting in the present predicament of the farmers," Minister de Silva said hitting out at environmentalists and wildlife organisations who had become a stumbling block to the renovation programmes.

The minister said President Mahinda Rajapaksa requested him to go ahead with tank renovation programmes considering the gravity of the situation lest they had to wait for five years to obtain permits from environment and wildlife organisations to renovate these tanks.

Minister de Silva was addressing a meeting at the Mahaweli auditorium in Bakamua. The meeting was held after commencing renovation programmes of six tanks in the Mahaweli G Zone. Due to the drought and under a proposal of the farming community, the Irrigation and Water Management Ministry commenced a programme to store water in the dry zone in a proper manner.

This programme is targeted to ensure an uninterrupted water supply in both Yala and Maha seasons for thousands of acres of paddy land in Elahera, Giritale and Bakamuna and the surrounding areas, de Silva said.

The minister said in addition, they will provide water for wildlife in these areas. Under this programme, the Irrigation Department will build several tanks, he said.

De Silva said the entire programme will cost Rs 1,200 million while the Treasury had allocated separate funds for this task. The building of tanks were commenced on the direction of President Rajapaksa who met farmer representatives in the North Central Province recently.