Is the Mahaweli Development Scheme (MDS) really necessary for Sri Lanka?

1.      The MDS was a dictate of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (1BRD). An 1BRD mission visited Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in May 1961 and stated that. The MDS is a promising multipurpose scheme to meet Ceylon's economic needs' (Ref: my 'A critical view of the conception of the MDS' http://Mahawelifailure.blogspot.com.) The government of Ceylon at the time blindly followed the 1BRD.

2.      The statistics of the Agriculture Department for the districtwise paddy production of 2012 is as follows;

District	Area (hectares)
Ampara	132741
Anuradhapura	149353
Badulla	39228
Batticoloa	83357
Colombo	5527
Gampaha	13904
Galle	20180
Hambantota	67251
Jaffna	8755
Kandy	18857
Kegalle	9985
Kilinochchi	26647
Kurunegala	107354
Manner	15617
Matale	24815
Matara	27672
Moneragala	47601
Mullative	12315
Nuwara Eliya	6626
Polonnaruwa	117964
Puttalam	19522
Ratnapura	26545
Trincomalee	46268
Total for Island	1023084

3.      Paddy production for 2012 for districts under the MDS only are as follows from the above statistics;

District	Area (hectares)
Anuradhapura	149353	(Mahaweli System H)
Matale	24815	(Mahaweli System G)
Polonnaruwa	117964	(Mahaweli Systems B + C)
Trincomalee	46268	(Mahaweli System C )
Total of MDS districts	= 338400 ha

4.      The districts of Anuradhapura, Matale, Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee also had a total area of 99556 ha (246000 acres) under paddy before the commencement of the MDS in 1969. These areas were under major and minor irrigation schemes and included augmentation from the Mahaweli at Elahera, Angamedilla and Minipe. This area was later absorbed into the MDS.

5.      Therefore, the total area benefiting from the MDS in the above four districts is only 238844 ha, which is only 23.3% of the Island's paddy production area of 2012.

6.      The paddy production prior to the implementation of the MDS in 1969 in the net result of the following;

·         The repair and restoration of the ancient irrigation schemes by the Department of Irrigation followed by colonization schemes which was accelerated by Mr. D.S. Senanayake, after he became the Minister of Agriculture and Lands of the State Council, in 1931 and continued uninterrupted even after his demise in 1952. Most of these schemes were major irrigation works.

·         Paddy lands developed under minor irrigation schemes, conducted by various authorized bodies other than the Irrigation Department, throught the island.

·         Galoya scheme, under the Galoya Development Board (GODB)

·         Walawe scheme, under the River Valleys Development Board (RVDB)

7.      The pace and consistency of the repairs and restorations of the ancient irrigation works, handled by the Irrigation Department annually was exceptional and showed steady progress and was followed by the alienation of paddy lands for the peasant colonization schemes. An example is cited from the 'Sri Lanka Annual' published by the Information Department, of the major irrigation works completed in 1958 and proposed for 1959 to indicate the Irrigation Department's commitment every year.

8.      Completed works (1958).

Province	Major Irrigation Works	Acreage delivered for peasent paddy cultivation
Northern	Pavatkulam Vavunikulam Kalmadu Udayarkaddukulam	4500 6000 1050 1200
North Central	Mahavilachciya Padawiya Gal Amuna Scheme Giritale Scheme	5000 14000 3600 4500
North Western	Mi Oya Diversion Scheme Usgala Siyabalangamuwa Scheme Hakwatuna Oya Reservoir scheme	3876 3000 4000
Eastern	Kanthalai extension Scheme Allai extension scheme Unichchai scheme R.B. extension Morawewa scheme	24000 13000 3600 3000
Central	Kandalama Restoration	4000
	Total	98326

9.      The proposed schemes for 1959;

Province	Major Irrigation Works	Acreage delivered for peasent paddy cultivation
Northern	Muthuaiyan Kaddukulum Scheme Kariyalai Nagapadduwan Scheme	6000 1500
North Central	Rajangane Wewa (New Construction) Mahakanadarawa Reservoir Kaudulla tank scheme	15000 4000 2500
Southern	Hulanda Oya reservoir scheme	5000
Central	Dambarawa Tank scheme Minipe yoda Ela extension scheme	2000 32000
Uva	Ambewela Reservoir Scheme	1000
	Total	69000

These figures and arguments reveal that the MDS is only a marginal scheme for the paddy production in the Island when considering the colossal amount of money, that is spent for irrigation in the dryzone with the Mahaweli, which is completely out of proportion to the benefits.

Yasantha De Silva

B.Sc. (Agriculture)