All measures are in place to deposit treasure items today in the main dam of the Kaluganga reservoir of the Moragahakanda-Kaluganga Development project.
The treasure depositing ceremony will take place under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at 9.30 a.m. today.
Fulfilling a long felt need of the people in the dry zone, the Moragahakanda-Kaluganga Development project is rapidly progressing to provide the dry zone with adequate water for agriculture, domestic and industrial purposes.
The construction of the project, which includes two giant reservoirs as Moragahakanda and Kaluganga, are in progress beneath the Kunuckles Mountain Range.
According to Mahaweli Authority sources, the water capacity of Moragahakanda reservoir is four times bigger than that of the ancient Parakrama Samudraya in Polonnaruwa while the water capacity of Kaluganga reservoir is two times bigger than that of the Parakrama Samudraya.
The project will provide water for 81,422 hectares in the Dry Zone while it will provide industrial water supply to Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Matale and Vavuniya districts. It is significant that both reservoirs will add 25 megawatte to the national grid after completing the proposed hydro power plants. Besides, the project will be a solution for flood control of low lying areas, especially in parts of Polonnaruwa district including the Somawathiya sanctuary which frequently goes underwater. Moreover, the project opens up new lands for agricultural and other settlements.
Both Moragahakanda and Kaluganga reservoirs, which utilise water of Amban Ganga and Kalu Ganga as the feeder rivers, are implemented by the Mahaweli Authority under the Mahaweli River Development Scheme. Both reservoirs will be linked to each other with a conveyance system consisting of two tunnels and transfer canals.
