“Do not release even a drop of rainwater to the sea without using it,” is a famous quote by King Parakramabahu, that many Sri Lankans still live by. However, despite strong protests by locals in Polonnaruwa, the breakwater of the ancient Parakrama Samudra is being bulldozed for the construction of a walking path.
This jogging path is said to be 8 feet wide and will cover a 1.7 km stretch from the Divisional Secretary Official Residence to the D.S. Senanayake memorial at the Number 1 Sluice Gate of the Parakrama Samudra. The proposal for this walking path was moved by the Urban Development Authority and construction will cost a thunderous amount of Rs. 34 million, which has citizens questioning why so much money is being spent on unnecessary projects rather than spending it to eradicate the Covid-19 virus from our country.
Recently, it was also reported that several bulldozers were being used to shove the rocks of the breakwater into the Parakrama Samudra to construct a new walking path around the ancient water system. One could understand and excuse building a jogging path, but as Sri Lankans question: why is it necessary to destroy such an important monument in the process?
This walking path is to be constructed along the interior section of the banks of the Parakrama Samudra and already many farmers in the area have pointed out that the construction will inevitably damage the reservoir. Several videos also emerged online, both from reputed news sources and local social media showing a backhoe pushing rocks along the breakwater of the Parakrama Samudra into the water, to flatten the surface for an even walking path, which will inevitably cause significant damage to this monumental reservoir. It is this breakwater that has protected the waters of the Parakrama Samudra for centuries, without letting a drop of water go to waste.
History shows that King Parakramabahu has made an immense contribution towards the agricultural industry in the country and the Parakrama Samudra was his greatest ever contribution to the people of Sri Lanka. The reservoir is considered to be a historical monument in the country, so there is the question of whether constructing this jogging path is even legal. We spoke to Environmental Lawyer Dr. Jagath Gunawardena, who informed us that Section 43 of the Antiquities Ordinance that states: “Any person who wilfully destroys, injures, defaces, or tampers with any antiquity or wilfully damages any part of it, shall be guilty of an offence under this Ordinance…” will come into action. Additionally, he said: “They are also required to do an environmental assessment and review the environmental consequences if this road is paved. But also anyone with common sense will see that this road should not be paved.”
The environmental impact
The name “Samudhraya” translates to “ocean” to depict just how large this water system actually is. It is so large, in fact, that strong winds that blow over it cause swells in the Parakrama Samudra, so large to the size of ocean waves. Dr. Gunawardena explained that the other side of the bund has many stones that form the breakfront which prevents the wave action from eroding the bund. The massive 116,000-acre-feet of water that the Parakrama Samudra holds is protected by the breakwater and area residents have informed the authorities that during certain seasons with the increase in wind speeds, the breakwater stays firm against almost ocean wave-like currents.
It is also important to note that when heavy floods hit the area in 2013 the banks of the Parakrama Samudra were at risk and sandbags were placed in an attempt to protect them. So, as Dr. Gunawardena pointed out, it is simply common sense to keep the breakfront from being destroyed for the construction of a mere walking path.
The District Secretary of Polonnaruwa W.A. Dharmasiri has assured the public that the walking path project will not threaten or ruin the banks of the ancient water system, but Dr. Gunawardena questioned how that is possible if, already, rocks are being removed and damaged.
“From ancient times, this tradition of placing rocks to protect reservoirs has been continued,” explained Dr. Gunawardena, adding that area was called a “rala panawa”, which is a mitigatory protection device made to save the bund from erosion and other harm – essentially stone liners on the bank of the reservoir to avoid erosion due to water waves. Removing any rocks from the “rala panawa” is very short-sided, according to him, because this act will adversely affect the very being of the reservoir.
“The problem here is that people don’t realise the dynamic of a reservoir; most think it’s just a holding tank for water. They don’t know the ancient practices and systems nor do they understand why certain things are done or not done,” commented Dr. Gunawardena.
Parakramabahu’s construction work made up a significant chunk of the material history of Sri Lanka. Much of the remnants of Polonnaruwa date from his reign, as well as sites in western and south-eastern Sri Lanka. It is said that the architecture behind his constructions are now lost and irreplicable, so to mess with such a symbolic and necessary part of Sri Lanka, should be unthinkable, Dr. Gunawardena noted. The construction of a walking path clearly slaps an insult to the great knowledge that our ancestors possessed in creating such marvels that even stun today’s engineering giants.
Adding to this sentiment, member of Climate Action Now Melani Goonethileke observed that the ancient cascade systems of Sri Lanka and the technology used to construct the irrigation systems has been praised by several hydraulic engineers worldwide. “Even on the website of the Department of Irrigation, Sri Lanka it’s mentioned that our ancient hydraulic systems are some of the most complex irrigation systems in the ancient world. So it raises several questions as to why the structure of the reservoir is being damaged to build something like a jogging path; the media also reported that there are few other jogging paths located close to this as well,” she commented.
Economical implications
Dr. Gunawardena noted that more than environmental damage, the damage caused to the bund of the tank by the construction of the jogging path will force the authorities to spend a large sum of money to re-establish the damage that will be caused. “If they don't fix the damages, there will be no other option than to reduce the amount of water in the reservoir that will adversely affect agriculture in Sri Lanka, which in turn will therefore affect the economy that is already surviving by a thread,” he added. Either way, he noted that this construction will cost Sri Lanka more than it can afford.
The Parakrama Samudra being one of Sri Lanka’s national monuments, also attracts a number of tourists, historians. and architects around the world who wish to study and marvel at this magnificent reservoir. By destroying such a treasure, Dr. Gunawardena noted that tourism too will take a dive. “The Parakrama Samudra is situated in Polonnaruwa, which is part of the cultural triangle in Sri Lanka. Many people come to visit this destination, and now, if such an attraction is destroyed, it will also impact tourism and again, the economy.”
Goonethileke also informed us that there has been a “Dam Safety” project completed in the year 2018 to repair such damages which has cost $ 148 million funded by the World Bank. So, she concluded, that it’s difficult to believe the claims made by some officials that this project aims to repair the damages of the reservoir, as this project was proposed by the UDA.
“It’s quite unfortunate that we are still looking at infrastructure development as progress, whereas several other countries who went down this path are now turning around as they understand the importance of conservation, rewilding, and restoration of natural ecosystems,” she added. With the examples of sustainability from our ancient cultures, Sri Lanka can adopt these ways instead of just following what everyone thought was progress a decade ago. Especially with the incoming climate crisis, it is important that we be more careful on how we use natural resources like water as Sri Lanka has been listed within the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Protests against the construction
The Director of Irrigation of the Polonnaruwa Zone L.M.W. Rathnasiri has announced that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) had approved the proposal for the construction of this walking path and the green light was also given by the Department of Irrigation.
In light of this, the farmers in Polonnaruwa point out that the leaders of their communities were silenced as the Department of Irrigation secured the contract to ruin the Parakrama Samudra.
It is also reported that the Department of Agrarian Services and the Department of Archeology had also granted approval to this project and that the project was aimed at providing the necessary facilities to people who visit the banks of the reservoir daily.
“There is this notion that in our country, people oppose any development decisions taken by the government. This is not true. People oppose short-sighted and irregular development decisions. It’s also a question of what decisions need to be prioritised while the country is facing a crisis,” commented Goonethileke.
It was brought to our attention by reputed sources in the environmental industry that wished to remain anonymous, that removal of the “rala panawa” was stopped and the construction was temporarily halted on Friday (27), and an immediate District Development Committee (DDC) meeting was held where it was decided to construct the 20 metres of the pathway to demonstrate to the protesters that no harm would be done to the tank. It was said that officials from the Archeology Department raised no objection as they are operating under the assumption that this construction will not undermine the archeological value of the tank. Several attempts to contact Archeology Department Director Prof. Anura Manatunga to verify this was unsuccessful, although he had confirmed this to other news sources.
Currently, despite the numerous projects, The Urban Development Authority and the Irrigation Department are to go ahead with the construction of a walking path on the banks of the Parakrama Samudra.
Buddhist monks in Polonnaruwa have also vehemently objected to the project pointing out that changes to the structure of the tank might weaken the strength of the tank wall and cause a disaster, upon observing that cracks had already appeared in the area under construction.
Commenting on this, Dr. Gunawardena added that even though it is not a big issue from the environmental side of things, if any damage were to occur to the tank wall, people at low-lying areas would be affected.
Furthermore, Dr. Gunawardena questioned the authorities for even authorising such a project with a clear lack of understanding of how the Parakrama Samudra operates as well as neglecting to understand its historical impact on the country.
This jogging path is said to be 8 feet wide and will cover a 1.7 km stretch from the Divisional Secretary Official Residence to the D.S. Senanayake memorial at the Number 1 Sluice Gate of the Parakrama Samudra. The proposal for this walking path was moved by the Urban Development Authority and construction will cost a thunderous amount of Rs. 34 million, which has citizens questioning why so much money is being spent on unnecessary projects rather than spending it to eradicate the Covid-19 virus from our country.
Recently, it was also reported that several bulldozers were being used to shove the rocks of the breakwater into the Parakrama Samudra to construct a new walking path around the ancient water system. One could understand and excuse building a jogging path, but as Sri Lankans question: why is it necessary to destroy such an important monument in the process?
This walking path is to be constructed along the interior section of the banks of the Parakrama Samudra and already many farmers in the area have pointed out that the construction will inevitably damage the reservoir. Several videos also emerged online, both from reputed news sources and local social media showing a backhoe pushing rocks along the breakwater of the Parakrama Samudra into the water, to flatten the surface for an even walking path, which will inevitably cause significant damage to this monumental reservoir. It is this breakwater that has protected the waters of the Parakrama Samudra for centuries, without letting a drop of water go to waste.
History shows that King Parakramabahu has made an immense contribution towards the agricultural industry in the country and the Parakrama Samudra was his greatest ever contribution to the people of Sri Lanka. The reservoir is considered to be a historical monument in the country, so there is the question of whether constructing this jogging path is even legal. We spoke to Environmental Lawyer Dr. Jagath Gunawardena, who informed us that Section 43 of the Antiquities Ordinance that states: “Any person who wilfully destroys, injures, defaces, or tampers with any antiquity or wilfully damages any part of it, shall be guilty of an offence under this Ordinance…” will come into action. Additionally, he said: “They are also required to do an environmental assessment and review the environmental consequences if this road is paved. But also anyone with common sense will see that this road should not be paved.”
The environmental impact
The name “Samudhraya” translates to “ocean” to depict just how large this water system actually is. It is so large, in fact, that strong winds that blow over it cause swells in the Parakrama Samudra, so large to the size of ocean waves. Dr. Gunawardena explained that the other side of the bund has many stones that form the breakfront which prevents the wave action from eroding the bund. The massive 116,000-acre-feet of water that the Parakrama Samudra holds is protected by the breakwater and area residents have informed the authorities that during certain seasons with the increase in wind speeds, the breakwater stays firm against almost ocean wave-like currents.
It is also important to note that when heavy floods hit the area in 2013 the banks of the Parakrama Samudra were at risk and sandbags were placed in an attempt to protect them. So, as Dr. Gunawardena pointed out, it is simply common sense to keep the breakfront from being destroyed for the construction of a mere walking path.
The District Secretary of Polonnaruwa W.A. Dharmasiri has assured the public that the walking path project will not threaten or ruin the banks of the ancient water system, but Dr. Gunawardena questioned how that is possible if, already, rocks are being removed and damaged.
“From ancient times, this tradition of placing rocks to protect reservoirs has been continued,” explained Dr. Gunawardena, adding that area was called a “rala panawa”, which is a mitigatory protection device made to save the bund from erosion and other harm – essentially stone liners on the bank of the reservoir to avoid erosion due to water waves. Removing any rocks from the “rala panawa” is very short-sided, according to him, because this act will adversely affect the very being of the reservoir.
“The problem here is that people don’t realise the dynamic of a reservoir; most think it’s just a holding tank for water. They don’t know the ancient practices and systems nor do they understand why certain things are done or not done,” commented Dr. Gunawardena.
Parakramabahu’s construction work made up a significant chunk of the material history of Sri Lanka. Much of the remnants of Polonnaruwa date from his reign, as well as sites in western and south-eastern Sri Lanka. It is said that the architecture behind his constructions are now lost and irreplicable, so to mess with such a symbolic and necessary part of Sri Lanka, should be unthinkable, Dr. Gunawardena noted. The construction of a walking path clearly slaps an insult to the great knowledge that our ancestors possessed in creating such marvels that even stun today’s engineering giants.
Adding to this sentiment, member of Climate Action Now Melani Goonethileke observed that the ancient cascade systems of Sri Lanka and the technology used to construct the irrigation systems has been praised by several hydraulic engineers worldwide. “Even on the website of the Department of Irrigation, Sri Lanka it’s mentioned that our ancient hydraulic systems are some of the most complex irrigation systems in the ancient world. So it raises several questions as to why the structure of the reservoir is being damaged to build something like a jogging path; the media also reported that there are few other jogging paths located close to this as well,” she commented.
Economical implications
Dr. Gunawardena noted that more than environmental damage, the damage caused to the bund of the tank by the construction of the jogging path will force the authorities to spend a large sum of money to re-establish the damage that will be caused. “If they don't fix the damages, there will be no other option than to reduce the amount of water in the reservoir that will adversely affect agriculture in Sri Lanka, which in turn will therefore affect the economy that is already surviving by a thread,” he added. Either way, he noted that this construction will cost Sri Lanka more than it can afford.
The Parakrama Samudra being one of Sri Lanka’s national monuments, also attracts a number of tourists, historians. and architects around the world who wish to study and marvel at this magnificent reservoir. By destroying such a treasure, Dr. Gunawardena noted that tourism too will take a dive. “The Parakrama Samudra is situated in Polonnaruwa, which is part of the cultural triangle in Sri Lanka. Many people come to visit this destination, and now, if such an attraction is destroyed, it will also impact tourism and again, the economy.”
Goonethileke also informed us that there has been a “Dam Safety” project completed in the year 2018 to repair such damages which has cost $ 148 million funded by the World Bank. So, she concluded, that it’s difficult to believe the claims made by some officials that this project aims to repair the damages of the reservoir, as this project was proposed by the UDA.
“It’s quite unfortunate that we are still looking at infrastructure development as progress, whereas several other countries who went down this path are now turning around as they understand the importance of conservation, rewilding, and restoration of natural ecosystems,” she added. With the examples of sustainability from our ancient cultures, Sri Lanka can adopt these ways instead of just following what everyone thought was progress a decade ago. Especially with the incoming climate crisis, it is important that we be more careful on how we use natural resources like water as Sri Lanka has been listed within the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Protests against the construction
The Director of Irrigation of the Polonnaruwa Zone L.M.W. Rathnasiri has announced that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) had approved the proposal for the construction of this walking path and the green light was also given by the Department of Irrigation.
In light of this, the farmers in Polonnaruwa point out that the leaders of their communities were silenced as the Department of Irrigation secured the contract to ruin the Parakrama Samudra.
It is also reported that the Department of Agrarian Services and the Department of Archeology had also granted approval to this project and that the project was aimed at providing the necessary facilities to people who visit the banks of the reservoir daily.
“There is this notion that in our country, people oppose any development decisions taken by the government. This is not true. People oppose short-sighted and irregular development decisions. It’s also a question of what decisions need to be prioritised while the country is facing a crisis,” commented Goonethileke.
It was brought to our attention by reputed sources in the environmental industry that wished to remain anonymous, that removal of the “rala panawa” was stopped and the construction was temporarily halted on Friday (27), and an immediate District Development Committee (DDC) meeting was held where it was decided to construct the 20 metres of the pathway to demonstrate to the protesters that no harm would be done to the tank. It was said that officials from the Archeology Department raised no objection as they are operating under the assumption that this construction will not undermine the archeological value of the tank. Several attempts to contact Archeology Department Director Prof. Anura Manatunga to verify this was unsuccessful, although he had confirmed this to other news sources.
Currently, despite the numerous projects, The Urban Development Authority and the Irrigation Department are to go ahead with the construction of a walking path on the banks of the Parakrama Samudra.
Buddhist monks in Polonnaruwa have also vehemently objected to the project pointing out that changes to the structure of the tank might weaken the strength of the tank wall and cause a disaster, upon observing that cracks had already appeared in the area under construction.
Commenting on this, Dr. Gunawardena added that even though it is not a big issue from the environmental side of things, if any damage were to occur to the tank wall, people at low-lying areas would be affected.
Furthermore, Dr. Gunawardena questioned the authorities for even authorising such a project with a clear lack of understanding of how the Parakrama Samudra operates as well as neglecting to understand its historical impact on the country.