The Project comprises of two Phases. Phase I covers the
rehabilitation and upgrading of 2,900 ha. of existing irrigated
lands and the development of 1,040 ha. of new lands in Walawe
Left Bank. In Phase II, 5,152 ha. of new lands will be opened
up for agriculture and settling of 5,800 farmer families
and 3,150 non-farmer families adjacent to the Phase 1 area.
Total beneficiaries of the project are about 12,000 families.
Phase
I, commenced in late 1997 and fully completed in 2003. Expenditure
of the project was Rs. 3,092 m.
Phase
II, commenced in 1999 and is scheduled to be completed in
2005. Work includes establishment of 12 settlements units
with irrigation and other social infrastructure facilities,
construction of 19.5 km of Left Bank Main Canal 65 village
tank and over 500 km of distribution and field canal network.
At the end of December 2003, 1,072 families were settled
in two units completing 6.5 km of Main Canal, 9 village
tanks, and irrigation infrastructure for 911 ha. 53 ha of
land along the road were planted with trees as an environmental
measure.
Overall
progress up to the end of December 2003 was 20%. 2004 budget
allocation for the project is Rs. 897.9 million and targeted
to complete 70% of the work and settling the balance number
of families.