Restoration of the historic Ilwatta anicut begins at a cost of 600 million rupees.
Giving new life to agriculture in the Southern Province and fulfilling the long-standing hope of thousands of farmers in the Weligama and Welipitiya Divisional Secretary’s divisions, the first phase of the historic ‘Ilwatta Anicut’ restoration project commenced yesterday (August 02nd).
This event, held under the patronage of Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, Lal Kantha, was attended by Southern Province Governor Dr. Susiripala Manawadu, Deputy Minister of Energy Arkam Illayas and Members of Parliament Professor H.M. Abeywickrama and Ajantha Gammaddage, among the political authorities present, and Southern Province Chief Secretary Chandima C. Muhandiram, Matara District Secretary Chandana Thilakaratne and a number of other government officials and invitees.
This project, jointly implemented by the Southern Province Irrigation Department and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, has an estimated cost of Rs. 594.3 million (approximately 60 crore rupees). This project, which is planned to be completed within a construction period of 20 months, will provide direct and indirect benefits to a population of over 57,000 and more than 8,000 farmers in the Welipitiya Divisional Secretary’s division.
The historic Ilwatta anicut, established in 1952, nourishes the Grama Niladhari divisions of Borala, Palalla, Jamburagoda West, Jamburagoda East, Welipitiya, Padili Kokmaduwa, Sahabandu Kokmaduwa and Nalawana in the Weligama area, and the Grama Niladhari divisions of Horadugoda, Ellalagoda and Kodagoda in the Galle District. It serves nearly 2,000 farming families who cultivate a paddy field in extent of over 3,000 acres and 62 acres of chena (koratu) cultivation.
After being handed over to the Provincial Irrigation Department in 1987, this anicut had fallen into a severely non-functional state, after the retirement of maintenance staff during 2006/2007 and the flood disasters that occurred in 2017.
