News
Water runs dry in Sigiriya
View(s):Story and pix by Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa
An old tank in Sigriya has dried out following the construction of a tunnel system to carry water from Moragahakanda Tank to the North Central Province.
The villagers of Ilukwewa in Sigiriya complained that the cultivation tanks, underground wells as well as the old tank had completely dried off, therefore the villagers who depend on that water had protested against the Mahaweli Authority and the Chinese construction company.
Farmland near the village remained void of water, causing paddy and vegetable crops to wither.
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- Villagers complain about the lack of water for their crops
Villagers said the tank’s water was removed within three days using pipes claiming that the water was seeping into the underground tunnel. The residents complained they learned later that the tank’s water did not seep into the underground tunnel, but the water turned towards paddy fields seeped into the tunnel.
They explained that the Chinese construction company promised to provide water to their farmland via pipelines, yet they had failed to do so.
Farmers also added that the fish in the tank had been killed due to lack of water causing the area to smell of rotten fish.
A Mahaweli Authority official said they had acted with the consent of the farmers association’s president. However the president of the association said that he is only responsible over the paddy fields, and is not responsible for other cultivations.
He pointed out that he does not have any document giving permission to remove water from the tank belonging to the Agrarian Services Department.
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