President Maithripala Sirisena, at the auspicious time 10. 59 this morning, enshrined traditional sacred relics in the Moragahakanda Dam.
The Moragahakanda – Kalu Ganga project was inaugurated by the President when he was Minister of Agriculture in 2007.
The project was implemented with an investment of USD 1,300 million and is expected to supply an additional 25Mw to the national grid.
At completion, the Moragahakanda – Kalu Ganga reservoir will supply water to 82,000 hectares of cultivation fields in Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa, Matale, and Anuradhapura districts. It is also expected to supply water to around 200, 000 families in Northern, North-Central, and Northwestern provinces and provide a durable solution to the Chronic Kidney Disease caused by the water in the dry zone.
Seventy-five percent of the construction of the Moragahakanda Reservoir is now complete and the remaining 25% will be completed by the end of the year.
The Kalu Ganga project is expected to be complete by 2018.
Deputy Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment Anuradha Jayarathne said 3,162 families were displaced due to the development project, and were resettled at suitable alternative lands. He said they were compensated by the government through the Mahaweli Development and Environment scheme.
