The Hon. Wasantha Piyathissa - Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, there is an emergency affecting farmers on both banks of the Gal Oya in Ampara. The D.S. Senanayake Samudraya has a capacity of 770,000 acre-feet; currently 730,000 acre-feet are stored, with water level at 108.3 feet (safety regulation requires opening spill gates beyond 104 feet). Five gates are open 15 inches, releasing 1,176 cusecs, plus inflows from Namal Oya and other reservoirs, totaling about 3,000 cusecs into Gal Oya. About 30 km downstream at Nehinnaikadu, a local tank bund breach inundated about 3,000 acres of paddy (both sown and newly transplanted). As waters recede, about 1,000 acres have been saved; engineers believe we can save around another 1,000 acres depending on weather. However, over 1,000 acres are damaged. For years, riverbank protection along Gal Oya has been neglected, causing recurrent breaches; current stabilization uses sandbagging by the District Secretary, Irrigation engineers, tri-forces, and Police.

¶ 02 Several roads—Mavadipalliya, Kittangi Navithanveli, Alayadivembu, Sangam Road, and Kalmunai North—are damaged or blocked. Prior rains also damaged irrigation systems and bunds. Temporary measures were taken; estimates are being prepared for permanent solutions. We have also set up a special DCC committee to formulate a flood control plan for Digamadulla District and another for Gal Oya river conservation. We are taking steps for full control going forward.