The Hon. Susil Ranasinghe - Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, I provide the following answers.

¶ 02 (a) (i) The number of tanks registered with the Irrigation Department is 700. Rivers: 103.

¶ 03 (ii) The operations and maintenance of the above 700 tanks are carried out by the Irrigation Department. Their categorization by size and region is given under Annex 01.

¶ 04 Annex 01: Tanks under the Irrigation Department are as follows: - Major reservoirs: 80 - Medium-sized reservoirs: 161 - Other tanks (storage tanks, level crossings, small tanks, feeder tanks): 459

¶ 05 Regional distribution (Major | Medium | Other): - Ampara: 10 | 5 | 26 - Anuradhapura: 13 | 80 | 47 - Badulla: 7 | 3 | 11 - Batticaloa: 6 | 3 | 1 - Colombo: - | 4 | - - Galle: 2 | 5 | 1 - Hambantota: 10 | 9 | 40 - Kandy: 4 | 8 | 21 - Kurunegala: 9 | 10 | 108 - Mannar: 4 | 4 | 163 - Monaragala: 3 | 19 | 6 - Polonnaruwa: 4 | 3 | 8 - Puttalam: 2 | 7 | 15 - Trincomalee: 6 | 1 | 12 Total: 80 | 161 | 459

¶ 06 The list of tank names is in Annex 02. As it is lengthy, Annex 02 is laid on the Table.

¶ 07 (iii) Tanks in the Matara District maintained by the Irrigation Department: - Large tanks (2): 1. Ellewewa 2. Kekunadura Wewa - Medium tanks (4): 1. Denagama Wewa 2. Lenabatuwa Wewa 3. East Wewa 4. Nape Uduwatura Wewa - Rivers: Nilwala Ganga and its main tributaries: Kirama Ara, Digili Oya, Hulandawa Oya; gravity irrigation schemes with associated canal networks; anicuts and flood-control canals; and upland irrigation canals exist as follows (selected lengths): • Denagama: Main canal 6.1 km; 2nd canal 0.6 km; distributaries 15 km; feeder 0.6 km • Ellewela: Main 8 km; feeder 0.6 km; escape 0.6 km • Kekunadura: Main 8.4 km • Uyanwatta: Main 2.6 km; 2nd 3 km; feeder 1.2 km; escape 1.2 km • Hali Ela: Main 5.8 km; 2nd 3 km; feeder 10 km • ... [further canal lengths as listed in the annexed detail]

¶ 08 (iv) Under the Nilwala Project, reservations pertaining to the works constructed under the scheme have been demarcated.

¶ 09 (v) Yes.

¶ 10 (vi) Thirteen legal cases are currently in progress; one case has been concluded. Action is being taken to institute a further 42 cases.

¶ 11 (b) (i) Approximately 10.5523 hectares in the Nadugala GN Division of the Thihagoda DS Division.

¶ 12 (ii) The Divisional Secretariat holds records that compensation has been paid.

¶ 13 (iii) Yes.

¶ 14 (iv) The French-funded project abandoned in 1988/89 may not be implementable in the same manner; however, once the economy stabilizes, the Nilwala Project should be implemented to some extent.

¶ 15 (v) No. Flood control and irrigation activities under the Nilwala Scheme are currently being implemented, and formal legal action is being taken against unauthorized land occupations.

¶ 16 (c) Not applicable in view of the above.

¶ 17 [Annexes placed in the Library.]