The Uma Oya Project



The Uma Oya Project
            Selected transcripts about the Uma Oya Project from a letter addressed to the Hon.President by me on the 2nd Feb. 2015.
            This letter was acknowledged by the Assistant Secretary to the President on 16th March, 2015 and forwarded by him to the Secretary, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment for necessary action in accordance with the existing rules and regulations.
Transcripts
Subject : 'Uma Oya' tunnel leak at Karandagolla.
1.      'Yesterday's (1st Feb, 2015) revelation by Sirasa of the gigantic water leak within the tunnel at Karandagolla, makes it, I believe, for the government and the executive president to take a quick decision without any delay. The reasons for this are under mentioned.
2.      'When the tunnel, from the Kotmale dam to the powerhouse at Atabage, was being constructed, at some point within the tunnel, an unexpected crack opened and water gushed out.'
3.      'Regarding the Kotmale project, it was assumed that the quality of the rock, through which the tunnel was to be excavated, was suitable, so that there was no need for concrete lining the tunnel, which was an economic advantage. However, the then professor of Geology of the Peradeniya University, Prof Vithanage, expressed concerns on this, saying that the 'granite' was suspect. But, his views were disregarded and the project continued under the Accelerated Mahaweli. But Prof.Vitahanage was correct. As the Swedish Contractors 'Skauska Cementjutriet', were reliable and experienced in this field, they probably expected this to occur at some stage and were prepared at the very moment a large leak appeared and in a very short time, were able to rectify the situation, Thereafter, the contractors concreted the tunnel sections where the granite was suspect.'
4.      'The same thing is now happening at Karandagolla, except that the Iranians don't have an inkling of what is happening.'
5.      'A vast system of interconnected caverns and reservoirs lie within the rock formations of the hilly regions of our island. Water accumulates in these caverns. It is this water which is tapped up from the wells and oozes from the springs at the 'foot' of hills and mountains and feed the perennial streams and the major rivers of Sri Lanka. The empty deep wells indicate that the water in these reservoirs are depleted and has occurred progressively since the 25th December 2014, when the gush opened in the tunnel at Karandagolla.
6.      'The Iranians and their Sri Lankan counterparts of the Uma Oya project are totally ignorant of these matters.'
7.      'They do not understand the serious implications of the gigantic water leak which is happening at present and they are dabbling about with the tremendously important natural underground reservoirs of water which are spread throught the whole of the hill country of the island.'
8.      As water does not seen to end in this gush, the worst fears that water from far reaching underground caverns and reservoirs, beneath, Keppitipola, Nuwara Eliya, Namunukula, Diyatalawa, Poonagala etc are also finding their wayout from Karandagolla. I think the Iranians are playing for time till the gush ceases and seal it but by that time, but the match would then be over and desertification would have started, the tea industry would have collapsed and a whole population would have had to suffer from this artificially induced 'drought',  which would be irretrievable.
9.      'The only possible thing to do is to concrete the openings of the tunnel and get the water to 'head back' and 'head up' and stop the further loss of water from the underground reservoirs of the hill country.'
10.  'Finally sir, I think it is not worth relying on the Iranian management to solve the problem and risk the nation.'

Yasantha De Silva
B.Sc (Agriculture)

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