Eastern Province: 150 tanks to be rehabilitated

By Ifham Nizam

The government would rehabilitate about 150 tanks in the Eastern Province next year under the President’s tank enrichment programme, said Minister of State for Backward Rural Development and Domestic Animal Husbandry and Minor Economic Crop Promotion Sadasivam Viyalendran.

He said that plans were underway to rehabilitate 400 tanks by 2025 to boost the agricultural activities in the eastern province.

Paddy cultivation was carried out under the Kadukkamunai Irrigation Project, which is under the Manmunai Southwest Pattipalai Divisional Secretariat Division in the Batticaloa District.

The construction of canals in the Batticaloa District through the Irrigation Department under the Irrigation Enrichment Programme is being extensively developed.

Viyalendran said that while the Villu Wewa in Kadukkamuna was under rehabilitation, the paddy fields were cultivated with water from the Kadukkamuna irrigation project.

The Minister of State said that except the large and small-scale cultivations in the Kadukkamune area, 350 acres of lands had been given intermediate cultivation and there had been a good yield.

Batticaloa District Additional Government Agent Sudarshini Sirikanth, Manmunai Southwest Pattipalai Divisional Secretary Datsanagauri Dinesh, Manmunai Southwest Pattipalai Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman N. Puspalingam and officials of the Irrigation Department were also present as special guests. The paddy harvest festival was held with the cultural values/pageant of the Tamil people.