5,000 tanks to be renovated immediately

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa directed relevant authorities to renovate 5,000 tanks scattered across the island following a mechanism combining ancient technology and modern scientific methods.

In parallel to this initiative the “National Food Production Contribution Programme” covering 120,000 abandoned paddy lands will also be launched. Tanks will be rehabilitated under the “Wari Saubhagya” programme. The assistance of the Civil Defence Force will be secured to expedite the project, according to the Presidential Secretariat. 

The proposed programme was reviewed in length during the meeting to discuss future activities of the State Ministry of Development of Rural Paddy Fields and Associated Tanks, Reservoirs and Irrigation held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.
“A project to rehabilitate tanks was carried out earlier too. It came under strong criticism by the experts as well as the public. This is due to the fact that despite dredging of tanks, ancient techniques and scientific methods of water retention were not used. Such shortcomings should be avoided and rehabilitation should proceed in a manner specific to each area and tank under a common criterion”, President said.

The capacity of tanks has been reduced due to their silting. There are a large number of tanks with breached banks. The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival, Basil Rajapaksa pointed out the necessity of rehabilitating such tanks targeting the Maha season.

President Rajapaksa highlighted the possibility of using tank water not only for paddy cultivation but also to meet the needs for drinking water and other irrigation requirements. The Departments of Land Use and Agriculture have jointly conducted a survey on the pattern of agricultural land use depending on the irrigation system. Based on its findings, plans afoot to cultivate 17 identified crops in the intermediate and inter seasons supported by a satisfactory water management system.

Rehabilitation of tanks should be carried out while preserving their related industries.it is imperative that the project should be implemented in conjunction with affiliated organisations and farmers’ societies. President Rajapaksa instructed to renovate the irrigation system including canals and dams in parallel with the project to rehabilitate tanks.