By Sarah Hannan
The water capacity of the Kotmale Reservoir and Dam is to be more than doubled by raising the dam by 30 metres, to irrigate arable lands in the Mahaweli H Zone towards the Anuradhapura and Puttalam Districts, it is learnt.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, State Minister of Development of Common Infrastructure Facilities of Settlements and Canals in Mahaweli Zones Siripala Gamlath said: “The intention of this project is to improve the water supply to the two districts that are under the Mahaweli H Zone. The irrigation system will allow farmers in these regions to improve their paddy and other agricultural crop cultivations.”
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State Minister Siripala Gamlath inspecting the model reservoir dam complex during a recent visit to the Kotmale reservoir project office.[/caption]
With the increase of the water capacity of these tanks under this project, new arable lands could be utilised for agriculture and, in addition, the water sources of the new project could be used for drinking water purposes in these areas as well.
When asked about the cost that would be incurred and whether the Government had called for investors to complete the next stage of the project, Gamlath said: “We are at present drafting the proposal for the dam elevation. We are yet to call for investors.”
Kotmale Reservoir Engineer-in-Charge R.M.S. Wathsala told The Sunday Morning that the water capacity of the dam would increase to 391 million cubic metres through this exercise.
“Under the new project to raise the height of the reservoir dam by 30 metres, the water capacity of the Kotmale Reservoir will increase to 391 million cubic metres from its current capacity of 174 million cubic metres.”
Accordingly, more water will be issued via the penstock at the Polgolla Dam to the Bowatenna Reservoir, thereby boosting the capacity of the irrigation tanks Kala Wewa and Rajangana Wewa, and that of Dambulla Oya and Kandalama too.
The Kotmale Hydroelectric turbine currently generates 210 MW, and this could be increased to 240 MW when the height of the dam is elevated by 30 metres, Engineer Wathsala said.
The current length of the reservoir dam is 600 metres and its current height is 87 metres. The Kotmale Reservoir Project was set up under the Accelerated Mahaweli Development Scheme in 1979. A dam was built across the Kotmale Oya at Kadadora and was constructed at a cost of Rs. 9 billion; its operations commenced in 1985.
State Minister Siripala Gamlath inspecting the model reservoir dam complex during a recent visit to the Kotmale reservoir project office.[/caption]
With the increase of the water capacity of these tanks under this project, new arable lands could be utilised for agriculture and, in addition, the water sources of the new project could be used for drinking water purposes in these areas as well.
When asked about the cost that would be incurred and whether the Government had called for investors to complete the next stage of the project, Gamlath said: “We are at present drafting the proposal for the dam elevation. We are yet to call for investors.”
Kotmale Reservoir Engineer-in-Charge R.M.S. Wathsala told The Sunday Morning that the water capacity of the dam would increase to 391 million cubic metres through this exercise.
“Under the new project to raise the height of the reservoir dam by 30 metres, the water capacity of the Kotmale Reservoir will increase to 391 million cubic metres from its current capacity of 174 million cubic metres.”
Accordingly, more water will be issued via the penstock at the Polgolla Dam to the Bowatenna Reservoir, thereby boosting the capacity of the irrigation tanks Kala Wewa and Rajangana Wewa, and that of Dambulla Oya and Kandalama too.
The Kotmale Hydroelectric turbine currently generates 210 MW, and this could be increased to 240 MW when the height of the dam is elevated by 30 metres, Engineer Wathsala said.
The current length of the reservoir dam is 600 metres and its current height is 87 metres. The Kotmale Reservoir Project was set up under the Accelerated Mahaweli Development Scheme in 1979. A dam was built across the Kotmale Oya at Kadadora and was constructed at a cost of Rs. 9 billion; its operations commenced in 1985.