| INTRODUCTION 1.1 Ceylon can be divided in to a Dry Zone and a Wet Zone by a line following approximately the 75 inch isohyets. The wet Zone corresponds roughly to the southwest quadrant, which covers about 30 percent of the Island’s area. However this area contains more than three quarters of the total population of Ceylon. It will be noted from Figure I that the population. Of the Ceylon has risen very sharply from around 1945 and the density in the wet Zone has in fact reached a figure of around 1,200 people per squire mile. This situation as brought clearly in to focus the necessity to develop agricultural production in the dry Zone. As agricultural in the Dry Zone is almost entirely dependent upon irrigation, its development is virtually impossible without securing an assured water supply. To this end the Government initiated several investigations of the area. Among then were those of the United States Operations Mission (1958-61) and the Canadian Hunting survey Corporation (1961-62) which together with the Irrigation and Survey Department of the Ministry of Land, Irrigation and power, examined the water resources of the Mahaweli Ganga and possibility of and Irrigation and hydropower development scheme. Mission of the international Bank for Reconstruction and Development visited the area in 1961 and reported that the Development proposed for a multi-purpose scheme to meet Ceylon’s economic needs was promising. 1.2 Initiation of present project In 1961 the Government of Ceylon requested assistants from the special Fund of the United Nation to survey the Mahaweli Ganga Basin and the Dry Zone areas in the North and Central Provinces. The request was approved by the Governing Council of the Special fund in June, 1964. The plan of Operation was drawn up and signed on 12 October, 1964 on behalf of the Government of Ceylon. The United Nation Special Fund and the food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations acting as Executing Agency was the Ministry of Land, Irrigation and power. The UNDP allocated US $ 1,146,000 to cover the cost specialist personnel, contractual services, fellowships and equipment. The Government contribution in kind was estimated at US $ 837,000. 1.3 Purpose of the Project The Project was designed to achieve the following objectives To provide basic information on the land and water resources of the Mahaweli Ganga Basin and the Dry Zone areas of the North Central Provinces; To Provide and overall water management plan with a view to the effective use of water for irrigation and power generation. To provide technical plans, Preliminary design of work, cost estimates, priorities, phasing and financing needed for implementation of the plan. 1.4 Execution of the Project The project became operational on 27 October, 1964 and field work was concluded in May. 1968. This was fallowed by a UNDP FAO Mission to investigate and report upon Organisational and Management Requirements, from 15 June to 25 July. The Survey was carried out over a period of the three years in two stages. The field investigation of the first stage, carried out between March, 1965 and February, 1967 comprised mainly a reconnaissance of the centre project area. The principal aim was to work out and outline for a Master Plan for full development of the water resources for irrigation and hydropower. 1 Assistance to the project was provided by the United Nations Special Fund until 1 January. 1966. On that date the special fun and the expended Programmes of Technical assistance were merged in to the United Nation Development Programmes, which continued to provide assistance to the project. The second stage of the survey was carried out between February, 1967 and May 1968.During the period, all the three phases of development for the entire scheme were identified. Additional investigations were made of the areas selected, .for three projects to be included in the first phase of development and detailed designs were prepared. The effect of the project on the social and economics structure of the country was also considered and analyzed in some details. For example problems of settlement, of maintenance and operation of the project works, and of the development of a sound agriculture programmes based on the optimum use of irrigation. Facilities were considered. In addition, cropping patterns and farming practices and methods for the improvement of existing cultivation were studied and workable cropping patterns were devised for the new areas. 1.5 Documentation The detail of the three years survey, which was completed in the two stages mentioned above, appears in an ad hoc report (Document No. FAO/SF.CEY 7) published in April, 1968. The final Report consist of Volume 1 – General Report, which summaries the work of the project, and its findings and recommendations; Volume II is a feasibility Report which is the basic document for the final designs of the projects included in the first phase of proposed development; Volume III comprises the report of the Mission which investigated the organizational and Management Requirements. Technical reports by specialists in each discipline of the survey have also been produced for transmittal to the Governments. |
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