Construction of South Asia’s longest irrigation tunnel, a key component of the North Central Canal Project, was completed on Wednesday (15), marking a major milestone in one of Sri Lanka’s largest irrigation infrastructure projects.
Implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation under the Mahaweli Water Security Investment Programme, the project is being funded by the Government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at a cost of Rs. 50 billion. The overall North Central Canal Project is scheduled for completion by 2030.
The ceremony marking the completion of the tunnel was attended by Deputy Minister of Irrigation Aravinda Senaratne, Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne, Deputy Minister T.B. Sarath, North Central Province Governor Wasantha Kumara Wimalasiri, representatives of the ADB, officials of the Chinese contractor and other government officials.
The project is designed to convey water from the Kalu Ganga and Moragahakanda reservoirs to the dry zone of the North Central Province, with the aim of addressing chronic water shortages and improving access to safe drinking water in areas affected by chronic kidney disease.
The 28-kilometre underground tunnel forms part of a 95-kilometre canal system that will transport water from the Moragahakanda Reservoir to the Mahakanadarawa Reservoir. It was excavated using a specialised double-shield tunnel boring machine.
According to the ministry, the project is expected to directly benefit around 175,000 families by providing irrigation water to approximately 74,000 hectares of farmland and supplying water to more than 1,500 major, medium and minor tanks, including 12 major irrigation schemes.
The canal is also expected to deliver around 70 million cubic metres of water annually, while nearly 40 million cubic metres have been allocated specifically for drinking water supplies.
Addressing the event, the Deputy Ministers said the project represented a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s irrigation history and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to completing the entire North Central Canal Project by 2030 to strengthen agricultural production and improve access to safe drinking water in the region. (Newswire)