The construction of the Yan Oya reservoir and its main canals had been interrupted as a result of a string of protests held by residents of the area, with only ninety-eight percent of the headwork (149,000 acre-feet) complete.
A group of villagers had recently trespassed on the Yan Oya Reservoir Project site in protest, blocking the approach roads to the site, while demanding that the construction work be halted. Project officials had then held discussions with the protesters and pledged to provide drinking water by means of bowsers, as well as to construct several wells to counteract the prevailing water scarcity in the district.
However, a section of the protesters disagreed with the proposed solutions and demanded that government officials should meet with them in order to come to an agreement.
The protesters put forward the following demands:
* Immediate payment of compensations for lands acquired
* Immediate payment of compensations for Wahalkada and Kadawala villagers
* Immediate solutions to the existing water shortage
* Immediate payment of compensations for kanna deprivation
Following this, the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) postponed the construction of the reservoir.
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