Geethanjana Kudaligamage

Rajapakse, regional politics, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Eurocentric DevelopmentalismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 19 VI)

This is the second part of the emailed article of Udula continued from the part 19-V. In this part after presenting three more technological components, Udula goes to explain few cases that has brought destruction to the multi-functional ancient system. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Katakuluwewas :

Silt trap tanks built across a canal on a place a little above its confluence with the reservoir. The function is to trap silt before entering into the reservoir.

Present day, all the diverted water from perennial sources is simply released to the reservoirs without making the silt to shed off before entering into them- the large storage reservoirs.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Karawita wew: small wewas built on the fringe of the coastal area to maintain a subterranean fresh water pressure toward the sea to retard the ingress of sea water through the soil.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ebba: man-made depressions on the banks of the rivers to catch water when the river spills. The land between the ebba and the bank of the river is irrigated with this stored water.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Case-IƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Kalaoya valleyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Kalaoya begins to flow down from the northern slopes of the northernmost mass of the central hills and travels about a distance of 100 miles carrying a total annual run off of 860,000 acre feet from a watershed of nearly 1000 square miles.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dotted across this basin, there had been more than 300 reservoirs, in different scales with large lengths of interconnecting canals system which had evolved through a large span of time-more than several centuries to form into a total man-made water resource fabric.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In this network, very significant monumental engineering feats of this country could be seen. One of them is the system comprising the Kala-balalu coupled reservoir (5 mile long earthen embankment with water spread of 6500 acres) and the 54 ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚½ mile long canal associated with 66 number of small scale reservoirs located along the canal and below it.

Kala-Balalu reservoir is formed by damming Kalaoya, in its upper reaches, carving out 300 sq. miles for its watershed. Out of the Balalu and Kala, the former had been built around 40 B.C. and the latter Kala came into operation about 5 centuries later in 470 A.D.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The canal starts its trace from Kala segment of Kala-Balalu reservoir by which it is fed. In the initial part, a length of 17 miles, the canal was taken along a gentle slope of 1: 10,000-rather on a contour. Within its first 8 mile, the canal deviates from the river tract and maintained approximately a mean parallel distance of about 4 miles between forming a band of irrigated area, on its left bank, before it turns to cross over to the adjacent valley. The canal used to feed about 66 tanks on its total traverse up to Anuradhapura (the first capital founded in 4^th country BC).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The canal meandered along the upstream water edge of the small reservoirs which were lying immediately below it, almost touching the upstream waterline when the reservoirs are full. The other major character of the canal was that it, almost throughout its traverse, was made to flow on the surface of the terrain, bordering the traditionally preserved thick forest belt called mookalan. Rain water that drains down this large tropical forest belt is intercepted by the canal bund built on its left bank which had marked the common border with the reservoirs lying by its side.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Just imagine the picturesque environment one would feel when walking on the bund of the canal.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  On the right hand, the water flows gently on the canal, just as in a natural stream flowing in the shade of the huge trees of the bordering forest that stands on the canal bank bending over the flowing water and spreadingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the branches over the bund casting cooler shadows on it. The streams that drain the bordering catchment forest could be seen flowing into the canal feeding it in intervals. On the left, view of the rippling blue clear water surface of the reservoirs opens through the trunks of the tree clusters that stand on the waters edge.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Below the tanks was the green spread of the paddy fields that stretch far up to the bank of the river, leaving the high ground masses for the settlements and the green orchards of the people.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ R.L. Brohier, in his celebrated work-the Ancient Irrigation Works of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) describes Jayaganga ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”the canal system in the following quoted words.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The Jayaganga, indeed an ingeniousƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  memorial of ancient irrigation, which wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  undoubtedly designed to serve as a combined irrigationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and water supply canal, was not entirely dependent on its feeder reservoir, Kalawawa, for the water it carried. The length of the bund between Kalawawa and Anuradhapura intercepted all the drainage from the high ground to the east which otherwise would have run to waste. Thus the Jayaganga adapted itself to a wide field of irrigation by feeding little village tanks in each subsidiary valley which lay below it bund. Not infrequently it fed a chain of village tanks down these valleys- the tank lower down receiving the overflow from the tank higher up on each chain.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This glorious man-made eco system that had sustained for over many centuries is no longer there now. It is now in total ruin. In early 1980s, on the decisions taken in the national level of politicsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the technocrats, in the field of hydrology, laid an express straight canal cutting across this ancient system, cutting the main artery- the meandering canal into pieces, digging the beds of the canal embraced tank clusters and bulldozing off hundreds of tanks located down in the valley.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Despite the protests of the ancestral people bulldozers kept on work, in some cases, summoning the local police onto the sites to stop the people barricading the earth movers. Out of the hundreds of tanks which were made to flatten on the ground people could salvage only two tanks by throwing themselves before the moving bulldozers. Some of the aged senior villagers died of the shock of seeing their reservoir emptied out through the gape made on the bund. The catchments of the system- traditionally preserved forest cover on the canal upstream was slashed down for timber and firewood by the contractors with the permissions granted by the state.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  (What we can witness here is the authority of the praxis of western science unquestionably condemning local science as non-science. Did the authority do their prior research to prove that the destroyed this inter connected fabric of ancient hydraulic engineering as a failure therefore needed to correct? We know there is no such report to prove and inform that ancient system was a failure for precisely identified reasons. To my knowledge, these authorities who ever responsible for taking these decisions to destroy an ancient system without proper scientific justification that is worth to discard the ancient scientific justification that was given to the said project must be requested to submit their reasoning to the people of Sri Lanka. The most vital question we must ask is how can one change something or take a decision to destroy something without properly knowing what they are changing or destroying?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What is evident here is the complete arrogance and arrogating rejection of anything do not understand as nonsense. These individuals educated in western science assume they are superior to ancient scientists and engineers just because they think western science is superior to any other sciences. White European engineers altered ancient systems in complete aloof of local knowledge, that of course understandable. But how can we justify when the local engineer who born here on the soil act in the same way like the white European with same ignorance and insensitivity? [writer])ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Case-IIƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Parakram Saamudrraya and the Kalinga-ela (kalingul-ela) system.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Parakrama Samudraya is a four compartment tank (aedutu wewa). The first compartment which is widely known as Topa wewa( reservoir with Dagobas or Stupas built in it on the water surface) was built in 342 AD. The bund of the total reservoir with a length of 13.6 km had held a world record as the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s biggest earthen dam until the year 1912 until the dam Gatun in Panama came into operation. The reservoir has a capacity of 135 MCM has a water spread of 5750 acres. Samudraya got it final structural shape with its elements- water diversion structure, feeding yoda-ela laid along the FSL contour ( that is along the upstream water edge when the reservoir is full) the downstream Kalinga-ela and the compartment weirs in the reign of king Parakramabahu the great (1153-1186 AD).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Parakrama Samudraya and its downstream are fed by the waters of river Mahaveli and its tributary Amban ganga which flows from the southern end of the reservoir.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Kalinga ela, a single bunded canal is laid along a contour, on the half way of the down stream paddy fields, in perpendicular to the streams that carry excess water drains down the fields. The function of Kaalinga ela which is now totally abandon was to collect that drainage and deliver them to the water scarce areas on the northern part of the valley. At the same time it taps water from the river and its tributary Amban. A continuous section of 22 miles is still intact except in the initial section, where people have settled on the crest of the bund. This canal mainly designed for water and soil conservation and the water management had been used for inland navigation as well.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Case-111ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Elahera-Kanthale Yoda-ela system

An irrigation system (water and soil conservation eco system), with a linear spread of 82 ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚½ miles, including a man-made canal and inter connected large reservoir system, which extend from the water rich eastern slopes of the northern mass of the central hills, had evolved through a time-span of 11 centuries. The initial section of the system is known as Alisara canal which is recorded in the chronicles as a work of king Vasaba (67-113 AD). It carries the diverted flow of Ambanganga along the foot of the Konduruwawa range intercepting the drainage from it. The canal feeds reservoir Giritale (550 AD) and the reservoir Minneri (267 AD) after having traversed a distance of 22 ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚½ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  miles and irrigating the valley lying below the range lying in its east. This initial section was extended by another 30 miles, further north of reservoir Minneri, during the 6^th century AD, to feed the reservoir Ganthala(615 AD). To the head end of the system another 28 mile long canal was annexed at a subsequent era, expanding the system to a length of 82 ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚½ miles.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Out of the four large member reservoirs of the system connected with the main artery canal three had never been breached from the day of commissioning and still serve the purpose.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Bordering the west is the mountainous forest range which had served as the catchments of the system. This lush tropical forest area of thousands of acres had covered with a diverse mix of indigenous plant species which had played a greater role inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the function of water and soil conservation on the watershed. And it was made to harbor the forest tanks built to serve as water retaining structures, in order to create the pockets of water rich environments within the forest- the habitat of the wild animals who had been considered as a part of the watershed-ecology.

.Case-1V:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Paralyzing the remaining hamlets on the hill range of Dumbara lying in the valleys of the tributaries of Mahaveli.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In 1985, under the accelerated Mahaveli Development Project, four major dams across the river Mahaveli on the central hills and in a region adjacent have been built. These reservoirs basically serve for hydro power generation and the released water is diverted to the plains below where the age old vast irrigation systems have been sustained.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  For the dam Victoria, one of the biggest hydro power reservoirs under the scheme, with an active capacity of 588 MCM, an area of 9.5 sq. miles was inundated ten traditional villages with 5941 families living in the valley have been resettled.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  A large extent of land in the peripheral watersheds of the reservoirs have been declared as wild life reserves imposing legal restrictions for age old upland cultivation which is being practiced in these sub valleys. This decision has shattered the life of the villages with a long historical background where the ecological or Nature farming was practiced as in the plains of Rajarata.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The terraced paddy lands for wet cultivation of paddy is located on the bottom of the valley in a branched pattern continuing along the banks of the stream or the tributary. All of these wet paddy fields were fed by the natural streams and fountains that flow down from the slopes. The watersheds of these fountains and the fountains have been preserved by the community. The upland cultivation or the traditional chena cultivation have been located along the fringe of the wet paddy lands leavingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the well grown up forest lands which serve as watersheds for the fountains and the streams. The graze lands for their cattle were the open grasslands naturally occurred in the slopes and on some plateaus of the hilly range. The dwelling houses are found on the high ground on the edge of the paddy fields in the home garden with full of diversity in flora which is some what analogous to a forest.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  These components were in perfect ecological balance. The villages had enjoyed a self sufficient life rich in soul and physique in harmony with nature. As soon as the taboo for upland cultivation was imposed by the government the shuttle balance maintained in the environment with the inter-agricultural pattern and with the Nature was totally shattered. The cattle breeding was given up for they could not be looked after as the grasslands are far away from to the homesteads.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The buffaloes for the plough are now scarce. Milk and curd has become a luxury. Taking care of the paddy plots from the wild animals has now become a tedious job for the fallow chena plots -the ideal feeding ground of the wild animals are no longer in the landscape. The disturbed nutrient flow into the paddy field makes the paddy harvest low. The village is now unable to fulfill the requirements of grain other than paddy, the vegetable and the fruits. The self-sufficiency was lost. The villages begin to shrink in population and in activity with the drain of the inhabitants into the townships. The hamlets have begun to die and fade away in the history leaving without remnants of a sensible civilization.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ( British reinterpreted the chena farming as primitive an uneconomic form of cultivation .By the mid 19^th century British colonial policies caused clearing of many Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s tropical montane forest in order to plant coffee and cinchona. Plantation coffee covered 20,500 ha. in 1847, increased to about 32,400 ha. by 1857 and 110,500 ha. by 1873. Approximately 20,200ha.were chena land seized from Kandyan villagers.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ An extract from Nature Farming-Integration of traditional knowledge system with modern farming in rice by J.M.R.S.Bandara-University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Conservation of the catchment forest:

In the traditional system disturbing the catchment forest was a taboo.

The composition of the plants & the creepers- the forest ecology was not allowed to disturb. Value of ecological balance of the forest and its function of rain water detention would have been comprehended by the ancients.

At present, as a general practice, the catchment areas of the reservoirs which are traditionally covered with the age old conserved forest is cleared by the forest department of the government to lay agro forestry. They generally consider these traditionally preserved forested areas as functionless and idling.

Many a perennial water ways have been dried out now due to this destructive act of the forest department.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In Minneriya catchment, out of 90,000 acres of the traditionally marked and preserved watershed a large fraction was cleared by the government during 1960s for agro forestry to plant Eucalyptus, Teak and acacia species. This had been a total failure even if it is looked at from the stand point of growing timber. In most of the areas the agro forestry was failed and the lands once covered with lush diverse vegetation are now exposed to harsh weather devoid of any remarkable grown up tree cover. In many places teak ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”bushesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ can be seen instead of trees. The residual forest patches will stand for the rich composition of the lost forest.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-WeeraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (drypetes Sepiaria) had been the dominant tree species in this watershed forest area. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-WeeraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, an evergreen tree, even bear fruits during the driest periods from June to August.( the regions gets rain largely from North-East Monsoon). It has thick mass of leaves which cast a dense shadow. Among the deciduous, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-WeeraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ protects the undergrowth during the drier periods. As compared to the other tree species its evapotranspiration is very less. Unfortunately to a normal eye, the fluted stem of this tree and its appearance gives an impression that it is useless. The same reason may have lead to the decision taken by the Canadian team visited here as consultants in 1960s who had instructed the government of Sri Lanka to remove all this apparently ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”unwanted treeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ from the forest for fire wood with the sheer ignorance of the service it render to the water conservation in large.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (This decision of removing indigenous tree species from its very soil exposes the unscientific nature of our local scientists who have got confused science with every utterance of western people. [Writer])ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ TheƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Loss of aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Traditional Sanctuary-Maha Morakanda

This is about a sheer devastation of a traditional forest garden, with an extent of more than 200 acres, located on a mountain range in the catchment of Kawduluwewa( large reservoir built in267 AD) for agro forestry by the forest department in the year 1960.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It was an age old mountainous forest garden, bordering Minneriya-Kanthale Yoda ela which runs along the foot of this mountain range. The traditional villagers who lived nearby treated this as a divine forest where a divine soul called Wanni Bandara was believed to be dwelt in. People used to visit this mountain forest only to pluck Mora- a variety of fruit bear in a grown up tree species called Mora. These trees do not bear fruits annually. Sometimes fruit season comes once in 2 or 3 years. The villagers used to collect bee honey in the same visit for gathering Mora. This journey to Morakanda( the name of the range) was resembled to a religious pilgrimage. They go in groups and spend the night in the mountain. In the evening just after their entry into the jungle, they made a ‘Kannalawwa’ or a vow to the deity who dwell in informing that they have come to his territory to pluck Mora fruit and to collect bee honey. And they promised not to harm any of the living creatures whether large or small during their stay in the mountain. This was an ideal sanctuary in its total sense. WasnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t it? Unfortunately, in 1960s the forest department had cleared this forest range ruthlessly, without paying a least attention to the appeal made by the traditional villagers.

What you see today here after 40 years is a barren, parch and eroded expanse of land with teak bushes, instead of trees, scattered here and there.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Summary of issues in the field of water for agriculture and the land use :

1. 1.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Excessive use of land in the central massif of Sri Lanka above some specific elevations from the sea level and on some terrains of vigorous inclinations cleared for agriculture and human settlements. This practice is extremely hazardous and imposes threats to natural conservation of soil and water.
2. 2.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Agro forestry practiced by the department of forestry of the government, in the hill country and on the planes, exposes a greater danger to water and soil conservation of the region.
3. This has much aggravated with the use of tree species, alien to the country and to the region, especially trees with the characteristic of excessive evapotranspiration planted in mono culture. This agro forestry has replaced vast traditional forest lands especially on the dry zone landscape, on the watersheds and on the isolated hilly ranges. These fractured quartzite hills covered with indigenous evergreens tree species with minimal evapotranspiration character had been traditionally served as water retention bodies.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
4. Disturbing the traditional irrigation systems of harvesting, storing and use of rain water within a basin by the introduction of government funded central systems of importing large quantities of water from the distant basins thereby creating an imbalance of the eco systems and bringing in more polluted water to the end user creating fatal health hazards as a result.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
5. Policy of the government to irrigate the maximum possible land, especially for paddy, on the command areas without leaving land masses to maintain the bio- diversity and disrupting the traditional settlement patterns and the sustainable agricultural traditions enjoyed for centuries of years.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
6. The inappropriate weirs built across the rivers and construction of express canals to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”transportƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ water along the long distances making the water to carry heavy loads of silt and suspended matter, together with salts and polluted agents into the once healthy irrigation systems and creating health hazards and exposing the traditional agro landscapes inhabitable.
7. Removal of a large number of traditional man-made water retaining structures together with the village communities dotted across the valleys which had sustained for larger time spans in the history, in some cases over 1500 years, fostered by the long practiced traditions aimed at conserving forest cover of the watersheds, conserving soil and water, preserving the rich bio-diversity and maintaining responsible social structures.
8. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Devastation of large expanse of traditional forest areas which had been preserved by the traditional community to serve as catchments to the contour canals and to the reservoirs associated with them by the introduction of the express water ways laid from the newly built central water storage structures far off from the locality.
9. Laying of infrastructure with disregard to the existing eco systems and water bodies.
10. Ignorance of the traditional irrigation systems and their role as preserving the bio-diversity and the social cohesiveness prevailed.

10.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Announcing and demarcating of the land reservations as catchments for the newly built hydro power reservoirs and introduction of the wild life sanctuaries encompassingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the traditional lands of the villagers expelling them from their age old farming practices thereby making them to leave their traditional homelands to the towns for living.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 11.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The environment and health hazards caused with the improper use of fertilizer and the agro chemicals introduced by the government department of agriculture.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (To be continued)