A special meeting was held yesterday (15) at the District Secretariat Auditorium to review the Kegalle District Irrigation Plans related to two projects which are implemented as a long-term program of weather, flood and landslides forecasting and warning and prevention of such situations in order to deal with climate change under World Bank assistance.

Accordingly, the World Bank has provided a loan of 25 million dollars to Sri Lanka for the first phase of the Integrated Water Streams and Water Resources Management Project and the first phase of the Climate Impact Reduction Program. These projects are expected to be completed within 18 months. Suggestions and comments related to the district are being taken and further action is expected to be taken accordingly.

Renovation of the Bandara amuna and Kehelpat amuna irrigation canal in the district is currently proposed in relation to this project and the priorities are being identified by obtaining opinions from the district level to the rural farmers' associations.

Within a period of two weeks, the relevant proposals should be given to the Ministry of Irrigation and the full supervision will be done under that Ministry. Irrigation, Agriculture, Provincial Irrigation and other related institutions have been planned to make this project a success.

In order to make this project more successful, it was decided to provide quick solutions to many existing problems including shortage of technical, trained officers and planners, fuel problems, protection of water sources.

On this occasion, the Minister of Irrigation Sports and Youth Affairs Roshan Ranasinghe, Minister of State for Rural and Paddy Reservoir and Irrigation Development Shashindra Rajapaksa, Kegalu District Coordinating Committee Chairperson and Member of Parliament Rajika Wickramasinghe, district political representatives, Secretary of the Ministry of Irrigation U.D.C. Jayalal , Kegalla District Governor/ District Secretary Ranjan Jayasinghe, Director (Planning) Ministry of Irrigation M.M. Ananda Mapa, Additional District Secretary (Administration) Dinisha S. Ratnayake, Additional District Secretary (Lands and Development) Dilip Nishantha, Staff Officers, Divisional Secretaries. , Irrigation Engineer, District Engineer, Agricultural Services, Export Agriculture, Aquatic and many other institutions were present.