Late Mr. D.J. Wimalasurendra Eng, Sept. 17th, 67th death anniversary
Posted on September 17th, 2019
Mahinda Karunaratne
It is my humble pride to write this mote of gratitude in memory to late Mr. D.J. Wimalasurendra the Eng., the founder father of Hydro Electricity in Ceylon.
Devapura Jayasena Wimalasurendra born 17 September 1874 (In Galwadugoda, Galle) – died 10 August 1953 with an unparalleled and invaluable service rendered to the Country and Nation which is in bleak memory now, but it is of my duty-bound to remember being a great-grandchild of the Vishwakula clan of which Late Mr. Wimalasurendra belongs is from Southern sect while I am of the Upcountry sect.
Those were the days the County under the Colonial rule that only the Colombo and few other major cities and places important to Colonials were powered by Diesel generating sets and that had been no electricity around the country.
It was my great-great-grandfather who immensely had thoughts and rendered and sacrificed his academic and ancestral talents to create the marvelous work of Laxapana hydropower station which is also known as Wimalasurendra hydropower station situated near Maskeliya.
Like any other such sons of the Hela nation, he too had several barriers to pass through with many obstacles of saboteurs and enemies that did not like him doing his endeavor, however according to family chronicles that he even had to contest the Ratnapura electorate and enter to the Parliament in order to get his project approved by the then govt.
The commendable initiative he had taken was so much excellent even the colonial rulers did not think about, thus Late Mr. Wimalasurendra deserves the same position of Michal Faraday of England and Thomas Edison of America.
The Nation is indebted timelessly to Late Mr. Wimalasurendra for lighting up the nation.
September 17th, 2019 at 7:55 pm
Those interested may contact me at : julius701@yahoo.com
Thank you.
September 18th, 2019 at 4:44 am
I REMEMBER THE CASTLEREAGH DAM, WHICH I BELIEVE IS CONNECTED WITH MR.WIMALASURENDRs PROJECT.
September 20th, 2019 at 12:57 pm
I would like to write a lot about this but I haven’t got the time. We knew him well as my dad and my late brother were superintendent engineers at the DGEU. I remember this gent coming to our home in Mirihana the day before the independence day and there were other important persons were there too like Mr Methanada.There were no hotels we had to put them up.We too are from the south and our parents’ friendship began there.