Oya Valleys
, and the reminder in the north-central part of the country.
It is estimated that
the period of construction required to complete all the works including
in the Master Plan should be about 30 years. In view of the dimensions
of this long range programme it is essential that the rate of development
is commensurate with a realistic assessment of the availability of the
necessary resources for construction of the works and early maximization
of agriculture out put. Further account has to be taken of the expected
growth rate of irrigation and power demands.
Finally there is an overriding need for flexibility within the
whole plan. The Master Plan is accordingly split up in to three phases,
each phase , each phase consisting of a number
of project. Each project in the first phase is evaluated on the basis
of the following criteria. :-
(i) it should capable
of development as a separate unit without financial commitment to other projects within the phase
or in the subsequent phase;
(ii) It should not prejudice
subsequent development.
(iii)
Its size and nature should be consistent with the ability of the
government to develop the reclaimed land; accordingly priority should
be given for areas where settlement, infrastructure, and management do
not present great problems;
(iv) It should meet the anticipated expansion in demand for power.
(v)
It should be economically variable
PROJECTS OF THE FIRST PHASE
OF DEVELOPMENT (1969-80)
The projects of the first phase of development are as follows :-
Project 1 : Polgolla Diversion
(1969-73)
The head structure
of polgolla with a hydro-electric station of
35.8 megawatts installed capacity is to convey water from the Mahaweli
Ganga to the Sudu Ganga (a tributary of the Amban
Ganga) through a tunnel. From the upper reaches of the Amban Ganga part of the flow is
to be diverted along the polgolla, Kala Oya (PK) Canal to the Kala Oya basin, to irrigate all
of the developed and 70 percent of the new lands in system H. The last
portion of the PK Canal is to be in a tunnel. At the end of which a Hydro-electric
station of 3.7 megawatts is be installed. The reminder of the water is
to be conveyed to the existing Elahera
Canal
to irrigate the entire area in systems
D-1 and G.
The total irrigated
area would be 186 thousand acres of which 84 thousand acres would be newly
irrigated, and the remaining 102 thousand acres come under improved irrigation.
Assume two crops a year. Nearly 70 percent of the total crop acres should
be under paddy, and the remained under such crops as ground nut, cotton,
Vegetables, maze, chilies, and various pulses.
The total installed capacity at the hydro-electric power station would
be 40 megawatts' an the annual energy production of 200 million
kWh. The total cost of Project I is estimated to reach Rs 576 million and the total benefit at Rs.
130 million of which Rs. 118 million is provided
by agriculture and Rs. 12 million power.
Project No 2: Victoria
– Minipe
Diversion (1973-77)
The head structure
on the Mahaweli Ganga (Victoria Project) with
a hydro-electric station of 120 megawatts of installed capacity, is to
feed through the new right-bank (R.B.) canal and the existing Minipe
canal (both of which originate at the existing diversion structure at
Minipe) a total irrigated area of 88,000 acres is system C
and E of which 14,000 acres are presently irrigated lands and 74,000 acres
in system C only are new lands. In
this area it is envisaged that a higher proportion of land should be under
crops other than paddy. Particularly groundnuts.
On the assumption of two crops per year it is in fact intended that paddy
should occupy less than one third of the total crop acres.
Firm energy production would be approximately 470 million kWh per year.
The commissioning Victoria hydro-electric station would meet the electric
power demand expected by 1976 in addition, The “free” storage of water
in the Victoria reservoir would compensate for the decline in power generation
at he Polgolla station during the dry season and would also allow
the irrigation of 116thousand acres of new land in the second phase of
the scheme (When Maduru Oya
and Taldena unit are commissioned). The total
cost of Project 2 is estimated at Rs. 676 million
and the total benefit at Rs. 118 million of
which Rs. 92 million represent the value of agricultural benefits
and Rs. 26 million represent power benefit s.
Project No.3: Moragahakanda Multi Purpose Unit (1977-80)
The regulated discharge
of the Moragahakanda head structure on the Amban Ganga with a hydro-electrics
station of 40 megawatts of installed capacity, Is to provide the complete
water supply to a total of 54,000 acres in systems A, D, H (30%) and I/H
(28,000 improved and 26,000 newly irrigated). As in the case of
the irrigated area in project 1, a high proportion of the area should
be under paddy cultivation, and this crop is intended to occupy some 80
percent of the total crop acres. in the remaining
area groundnuts and cotton are intended to predominate although small
areas would be planted to chillies, Vegetables and onions.
Firm energy production
would be 150 million k W h per year. The total cost of project 3 is estimated
at Rs. 298 million. And it shows the highest
unit cost per acre of the three projects. However, a part of the benefits
from the project would spill in to the second phase. Thus, it should be
considered as the transitional step between the first and the second phase
of the scheme. The total benefit
is estimated to be Rs. 34 million is provide
by agriculture and Rs. 8 million by power.
Summary of the First Phase
It is proposed to
irrigate a total of 328,000 acres in the first phase development. Of these,
184,000 acres would come under new irrigation and 140,000 acres of the
existing irrigation systems would be improved. Paddy would be the major
crop ground during the first phase of development and it is proposed that
crop should be grown on some 70 percent of the total crop acres. The predominance
of land best to paddy production enables experience to be gained elective
use of improved water supplies, without undue reliance being placed on
other crops and farming systems, for which additional is required. On
the remaining crop acres of the first phase, ground nuts, vegetables,
and cotton are expected to predominated, with a smaller area of chilies,
onions, maize, various pulses and sugar. The hydro-electric stations proposed
for construction would have a total installed capacity of about 200 megawatts
and would produce about 820 million k W h of firm energy per year. The
total cost of the first phase projects is estimated at Rs
1,550 million of which Rs. 537 would be required I foreign exchange and Rs. 1,013 in local currency. It is estimated that the total
benefit from the first phase would be Rs. 290
million of which Rs. 244 million is provided
by agriculture and Rs. 46 million by power.
SUBSEQUENT PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT
The development proposed for the first phase involves less reliance
on major changes in cropping system and farming standards than in required
in the subsequent phases. Detailed planning of the subsequent phases should
be phase on the experience gained during implementation of the first phase
particularly the rate of adaptation by settler to the more intensive farming
systems which are required, and the organisational and management needs.
In the second phase
it is propose to complete the development of irrigation in the Mahaweli
and Maduruoya basins, having met the water requirements of the
lands of systems A and B. “Free”
storage available at Victoria and Moragahakanda,
and at the newly constructed small-sized hydropower units of Maduruoya
and Taldena, is to be utilized for this.
The total irrigated
area would be 230,000 acres (209,000 acres of new irrigation and 21,000
acres of improvement to existing irrigation system). A small hydro-electric
station at Taldena with an installed capacity
of 15 megawatts would generate 48 million k w h of firm energy per year.
The total cost of the second phase is estimated at Rs.
920 million.
The third phase of
development provides for irrigation of land in the north-central part
of the country and completion of the hydro-power development of the Mahaweli
and its tributaries.
The total irrigated
area would be 342,000 acres (81,000 acres of improvement to existing systems
and 261,000 acres of new irrigation)
The proposed hydro-electric
station would have a total installed capacity of 293 megawatts and would
produce 1,169 million k w h of firm energy per year.
The cost of the third
phase is estimated at 3,113 million. The cost per acre of irrigation (Rs.8,830)
is higher than the respective unit cost for the other two phases and for
the whole scheme; however, the planned intensive use of the irrigated
lands in the north-central part should provide a sufficiently high rate
of return (12 percent).
During these subsequent
phases of development it is envisaged that more land suited to diversified
cropping would be develop under irrigation, particularly in the north-central
part of the country under phase III.
Total benefits for
phase II and III are estimated to be approximately Rs.
812 million, of which Rs. 744 million is provided
by agriculture and Rs. 68 million added by power
generation.
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
In view of the magnitude
of the scheme, it is essential that there should be co-ordinate inter-ministerial
responsibility, and a separate and flexible organization to carry out
the agreed policies. Within the executive organization there needs to
be the maximum co-ordination between irrigation engineering, agricultural
development and land settlement at all levels.
The existing institutional
arrangements for agricultural development provide and impressive coverage
of supporting service to the farmer, the effectiveness of the services
however would be greatly increased with better coo ordination and organization.
A trend towards inter-ministerial co-ordination is evidence by the establishment
of such committees as the food production sub-committee of the cabinet
and the inter-ministerial committee for special project under the rehabilitation
programme. The establishment of and organization to carry inter-ministerial
co-ordination a stage further, so that implementation of policy direction
of a cabinet sub-committee is in a legally established Authority, is highly
desirable such and Authority, headed by an Executive Board, would be responsible
for the supervision of planning and implementation, and ensuring the necessary
coordination of ministerial and departmental action in these processes.
It required the necessary supporting organization at headquarters, project
area, and held levels.
ZISE OF LAND HOLDINGS
Under past and present settlement polices
land holdings have varied between 3 and 8 acres these
size being fixed on and empirical basis. The proposals for the project envisage that
the majority of holdings will be 5 acres, some between 12 to 15
acres and a few in excess of 200 acres. However more information is required
to define more accurately the optimum size of holding for the various
areas, particularly under intensive diversified cropping, where the ability
of the family to meet the labour requirements is crucial. It is also necessary
that a continuing evaluation of land use and net output be made in order
to adjust holding size to meet the social, political and economic needs
of the country.
OVERALL
COSTS AND BENEFITS
The
cost and benefits for each project in the first phase, for each of the subsequent phases and for the overall Scheme have been given in
sections 6 and 7. The overall cost including provision for irrigation,
drainage flood protection, land development and settlement and power production
is estimated at Us. 5,583 million.
with a foreign exchange component of about 38
percent. Additional activities resulting
directly from the Scheme, such as power transmission, marketing
and processing of agricultural products and revenue
earning Government activities are estimated to add a further Rs. 1,120 2tt million giving a
grand total of some Rs. 6,700 million.
It is estimated that at full development
the annual total benefits from agricultural production (at world market
prices) will be Rs.988 million The benefits from
power generation are estimated to be Us 114 million.
Further economic detail in
terms of both costs and benefits, are given in Table II the Costs
and benefits for all three phases are estimated
in terms of prevailing market prices. It will be noted from this Table
that the internal rate of return for the whole Scheme is estimated at
15 percent The capital cost benefit radio for
the Scheme is estimated at 5.1