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BRINGING MAHAVELI WATER TO KANTALE ONE YEAR AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
by Eric. J de Silva
The northern and eastern parts of the country were experiencing a severe drought around the time I assumed duties as Government Agent, Trincomalee in May 1976. Even so, I did not expect to see the vast Kantale reservoir without a single drop of water in it when I was traveling to Trincomalee to take up my appointment.
When the official car in which I was traveling with my wife and children got on to the tank bund, we could hardly believe our eyes seeing hundreds of children and young adults playing soft-ball cricket, volley ball and other games on the tank bed. Driver Ratnayake who was at the wheel was quick to point out that the tank had been in that condition for quite some time, and the people of Kantale and the surrounding areas were fighting a battle for sheer survival.
Hardly had I sat down to work in my new job, representatives of farmer organizations, leading citizens and religious dignitaries of the area streamed into my office to tell me about the severe hardship that the people were undergoing. They explained that Mahaveli water which had already reached Minneriya in the Polonnaruwa district was expected to reach Kantale only in mid-1977 according to the time-table set by the Mahaveli authorities, and sought my intervention to get the date advanced, as the only solution to their woes.
I lost no time in summoning the local irrigation officials (they belonged to what was known as the Territorial Civil Engineering Organization, at the time),and they said in one voice that there was no way that Mahaveli water could be released to Kantale one year ahead of schedule. When I got in touch with senior officials of the Mahaveli Development Ministry in Colombo, I got the same answer.
I did not, however, want to leave it at that and thought of making a direct appeal to Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike for the sake of the people whom I had now come to serve. But before I did that I had to get my brief ready particularly in regard to the argument adduced that releasing water to Kantale one year ahead of schedule would be at the expense of the farmers in the Polonnaruwa district.
So I made a trip to Polonnaruwa to meet my counterpart Amaradasa Gunawardana whom I knew very well from my Peradeniya days (having been hall-mates at Ramanathan) to get a first-hand picture of the situation there. Having had discussions with him and his officials, I found there was very little substance in the above argument as the Minneriya tank from where water had to flow through Yoda Ela to Kantale was near spill level.
It appeared to me as nothing more than a bureaucratic response to a very reasonable request. Having being assured that he would not stand in the way of my request even as an after-thought, I proceeded to Colombo and met Dharmasiri Peiris (Secretary to the Prime Minister) and provided him with a full brief of the problems faced by the people of my district and requested him to arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister at the earliest possible opportunity to place my case before her.
Responding to my request very promptly, Dharmasiri phoned me in Trincomalee within a few days to say that the Prime Minister had fixed a meeting to discuss the issue with the Minister of Mahaveli Development, Mr. Maithripala Senanayake and his officials, and asked me to come prepared to argue my case. I attended the meeting held at Temple Trees presided over by the PM on the appointed day, with my officials.
Having explained the purpose of the meeting briefly she asked those present whether there was any problem in releasing Mahaveli water to Kantale one year ahead of schedule as requested by me, given the difficulties people were undergoing. Bureaucrats are never known to yield easily once they take up a position, and they came up with one reason or another to justify same.
The silver lining however was that the Minister appeared to be more accommodating than his officials, and when he made his position clear, his officials began to yield ground. I had requested Dharmasiri to ensure that my colleague from Polonnaruwa also attended the meeting, and when his views were sought he said he saw no problem from the point of people in his district.
It was finally agreed that my request be granted and water released to Kantale that very year. After terminating the meeting and rising from her seat to leave, the Prime Minister looked at me with a smile on her face and said “Eric can now go and tell his people that he is bringing Mahaveli water to Kantale one year ahead of schedule.” What a gracious comment from a Prime Minister- a comment beyond my wildest expectations!
She knew that If not for my intervention these helpless people would have had to wait for one more year for Mahaveli water, and she was prepared to openly give the credit to a public servant rather than take it on herself as politicians are accustomed to doing.
The decision that the government made to release Mahaveli water to Kantale one year ahead of schedule virtually made me an instant hero in the district. Local community leaders and religious dignitaries flocked to my office at the Kachcheri to thank me profusely for getting their prayers answered by going direct to the Prime Minister, when entreaties made by them to local politicians (among whom was the District Political Authority) had brought no results.
Mahaveli water was released to the Yoda Ela which feeds Kantale on the appointed day, and my officials kept on monitoring the flow very closely. When the water had come sufficiently far down Yoda Ela towards Kantale, I went by jeep down the jungle track along the channel in the direction of Polonnaruwa district with the AGA. and two other officials to welcome Mahaveli water into our drought stricken district. When we saw the water meandering its way down the channel slowly but surely towards Kantale tank, we virtually leapt out of the jeep and rushed down the slope to wet our feet with Mahaveli water giving an uninhibited expression of our joy!
The day the water reached Kantale tank was equally joyous, the joy being shared by hundreds of men women and children who had gathered on the tank bed to welcome the water. These people who had suffered so long without a drop of water in the reservoir suddenly found Mahaveli water flowing in to give them a fresh lease of life.
They simply could not believe it, and what a spontaneous outburst of emotion there was on the tank bed. I was there myself with my two small sons and some members of my staff to partake of their joy. It was as if the unachievable had been achieved!
The formal celebrations were yet to come. And when the day came, it was indeed a major event. When I arrived at Kantale that morning, it appeared as if the entire population of Allai-Kantale had converged on the tank bund. The reception I got was simply overwhelming. As I stepped out of the car, I was greeted with loud shouts of “Jayawewa” followed by ‘Apata Jalaya Labadun Maha Disapathi Thumata Jayawewa”! The G.A. was their hero, having brought Mahaveli water to Kantale tank on which their sustenance, nay their very survival, depended.
Being still new to the district, I was the cynosure of all eyes and was cast in the role of the principal star in the day’s proceedings, sidelining the local political leaders who had also arrived, very much to their discomfiture. I was taken in procession to the venue of a meeting that had been arranged, accompanied by other invitees, with traditional drummers and dancers leading the way. This was something that I had neither sought nor bargained for, as I had only done what the public pay a public servant for.
But there it was, a grateful people giving free rein to their feelings! A religious ceremony was held thereafter, followed by a public meeting which was addressed by me and a number of others. When everything was over and I was about to leave, my AGA. who had served in the district for many years came up to me and muttered into my ear “Sir, If you decide to contest this seat at the forthcoming Parliamentary Elections, you can win it hands down”!
It did not take many months for the reservoir to fill up. A date was fixed for the issue of water for cultivation, with Mr. Maithripala Senanayake, the Minister of Irrigation and Mahaveli Development himself as the chief guest. It was a major occasion and a day of festivity once again for the people of Kantale and the surrounding areas and a very large crowd was present.
With the General Elections expected to take place in the following year, the District Political Authority and other local politicians did their best to gain some political mileage from the occasion, and the GA took a back seat, not having any political ambitions of his own.
(Excerpted from A Peep Into The Past, memoir of Eric. J. de Silva)
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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