The President who discussed with the officials the progress of the project instructed them to expedite work on the project on the scheduled date.

The Nagadeepa major irrigation scheme which is situated in the Nagadeepa Village in Rideemaliyadda D.S. Division provides irrigation water for 11 paddy tracts totaling 4200 acres in this area. 21 farmer organizations comprising of 2800 farmer families are dependent on the scheme.

But Water scarcity during the “Yala” season has been continuously experienced by the farmers in the tail ends of the canals of the Nagadeepa scheme. Only 65% of the area is being cultivated in the Yala season. As a remedial measure, the Irrigation Department after studying a number of alternative proposals  finally ended up with the Proposed Morana Reservoir project which has been estimated to cost Rs.1700 million rupees..

Implementation of this project will alleviate the hardships faced by the farmers in the Nagadeepa scheme. In addition, 2500 acres of new lands directly under the Morana Tank will receive assured irrigation water during Maha and Yala seasons respectively. The additional farmer families who will benefit will be about 1200

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Chief Ministers Maheepala Herath, Prasanna Ranatunga, Sarath Ekanayake, Parliamentarians Thenuka Vidanagamage, Dilum Amunugama, Ruwan Ranatunga, Director General of Irrigations Badra Kamaladasa, Project Director P,Jayathilaka, Resident Engineer Chandana Vidanagamage were present at the occasion.(KH)