The Project called for a Study to be made on the Present Condition of the Irrigation System, and Operation and Maintenance Practices in the Sevanagala Sugar Area, Improvement of Tertiary Irrigation System Management under Selected Farmer Organisations in the Walawe Left Bank Area and Improvement of the Main Irrigation System Management in the Walawe Left Bank and Right Bank Areas.
The MASL felt it was essential to introduce effective water management practices to beneficiaries to improve the irrigation efficiency of the project in order to realize the anticipated benefits from the development of the Walawe Left Bank Irrigation Project.
In the Left Bank area, a considerable gap can be seen between the cumulative sum of water issued from the off-takes of the Main System and the total water release from the main reservoir. The gap may have been caused by an inaccuracy of calibration at the measuring devices in the off-takes as well as water tapping of farmers, who do not follow irrigation schedule instructions and keep the gate opened fully at night.
In addition to verification of H-Q curves, improvement of the main irrigation system management in the Left and Right Bank areas including development of flow monitoring systems and the establishment of a Planning and Flow Monitoring Unit is required for efficient operation and maintenance of the main irrigation system by MASL in order to distribute water according to agreed operational plans of Farmer Organizations and other water users. A preliminary Study in the Sevanagala Sugar area on the Left Bank revealed that expansion of the cultivated extent and deterioration of irrigation infrastructure also had an impact on increased water consumption in the area. This may result in difficulty to manage irrigation water efficiently. Therefore, a detailed study in the area to formulate a rehabilitation plan for irrigation infrastructure and a programme for strengthening the capacity of farmers’ organizations on water management is called for
