President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has instructed to expedite the rehabilitation of 5,000 tanks islandwide in accordance with ancient technology and modern scientific methods.
At the same time, the “National Food Production Contribution Program” will be implemented in 120,000 acres of fallow paddy lands islandwide. The Civil Defense Force is expected to assist in expediting the tank repair project
During the discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (09) under the patronage of the President on the future plans of the State Ministry of Rural Paddy, Allied Tanks, Reservoirs, and Irrigation, the proposed programs were extensively examined.
“Earlier too a tank reconstruction project was implemented. It was strongly criticized by scholars and the public. The reason for this is the lack of use of ancient techniques and scientific methods to retain water even if the tanks were dug deep. Reconstruction work should be carried out in a manner specific to each area and tank under a common criterion to avoid such shortcomings” the President said.
The need to renovate the tanks before the Maha Season was discussed as well. The President pointed out the possibility of using the tank water not only for paddy cultivation but also for drinking water supply and other irrigation needs.
Rehabilitation of tanks should be done in a manner that protects the tank related industries. It is imperative that the project is implemented in collaboration with affiliates and farmers’ organizations. The President also instructed to renovate the irrigation system including canals along with the reconstruction of tanks.
