Govt. drops Kalu Ganga diversion scheme

The government has abandoned an ambitious plan to divert the waters of Kalu Ganga to prevent periodic flooding of Kalutara and Ratnapura districts and to bring water to perennially parched Hambantota district.

Secretary to the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management K.W. Ivan de Silva Saturday told a specially summoned meeting at Malwala Rajamaha Viharaya that the plan to divert the river by building a dam across two of its tributaries Gilimale and Malwala in Ratnapura, which raised so much opposition, had been abandoned.The meeting had been by Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister W. D. J Seneviratne to inform the public of the government decision to do away with the Kalu Ganga Diversion Scheme. Also present at the meeting were Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekera and the Chairman of the now dissolved Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Ranjith Bandara. It was chaired by chief prelate of the temple Diviyagala Vijithaseeha thera.

The Ministry Secretary request the gathering not to take it as another election gimmick as the river diversion was meant to stop floods in the two districts.

He said should they go ahead with the scheme to dam the two tributaries it would result in many people being evicted.

Although the planned construction of the massive dam had been abandoned, Silva said that they were studying the possibility of building a number of small dams in the Ulugoda area of upper Gilimale, which was sparsely populated, so that they could yet meet their objectives.

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