Deduru Oya is the fourth large river in Sri Lanka. It flows through Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala and Puttalam Districts. It is about 142 km in length and has a water resource area of about 2,420 sq. kilometres.
The annual water release will be in the region of 1000 million cubic metres. It will be possible to irrigate 30,000 acres of paddy through with waters from the Deduru Oya. It will also meet the water requirements of over 50,000 families.
Addressing a media briefing in Colombo today on the commissioning of the Multipurpose Deduru Oya Project, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the Scheme will mark an important milestone in the life of the agricultural communities of the Northwestern Province. (ST/KH)