Uma Oya Project Doomed From Its Inception
By Ratnam Nadarajah –November 7, 2015
Ratnam Nadarajah
Who ever dreamt of this multi-purpose project has a lot to answer for. I am sure their intentions were very honourable. But the executing authorities seems to have not done their homework, prior to the commencement and execution phases of the project. For starters, what and why on earth one wants to deplete Uma oya, one of the main feeder tributaries of Mahawali Ganga. Were they thinking that diversion would somehow by magical means double up the capacity, no in fact a diminution of the net volume is inevitable and it is not rocket science? Natural Law of diminishing returns prevails. Or is it a question of robbing Peter to pay Paul. In Sri-Lankan context Robbing Banda to pay Appuhamy may be the case.
When the project was initially consumed by the powers, Asian Development Bank (ADB) had refused to fund same. The reason they had quoted was that the fundamental water rights of the communities that would be affected, if the scheme was implemented. This is the tip of the iceberg. There are numerous other issues including technical, ethical, social, economic, and environmental to quote a few matters associated with this concept. Prudently I am avoiding the political implication for the time being, otherwise we would be stirring up a hornet’s nest and the focus of the issue at hand would be lost.
Did the authorities obtain an independent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report from a competent body, specialising in the geographical and geological aspects of the project sites and the tunnel terrain. This should have been done prior to commitment of funds and resources. We hear, yes some sort EIA was done, but in my opinion the fundamental aspects of the project scope has not been addressed in detail. If a proper cost benefit – analysis/assessment had been carried out, in no way, in my considered view, any funding agency worth its salt would have, firstly approved the project and secondly fund it. ADB are no fools!
The total length of tunnels (7) amounts to 27 km, the longest is around 16km, which is lot of boring by any standards. How about the Environmental Clearance Certificate that was issued with conditions attached to it. Did the prime contractor abide by the stipulation? We understand through the grape wine that apparently this has not been carried out to any satisfaction.
Among the proposed multipurpose objectives of this project are , power generation, irrigation, provision of water to Hambanthota district including the International Airport in Hambanthota, and other Industrial projects/units in the wider Hambanthotha district. To the untrained eye and mind the project basically means to divert the Umo oya water to Humbanthota for multi-purposes and in the process generate some 120 Mega Watts of electricity up stream to feed the national grid. On the face of it looks good. But if you analyse the recent trend on some of the Hydro power generation schemes in Sri-Lanka , are based on where the expended water from unit upstream feeds another downstream thus adding output .This method maximises the harnessed Hydro-electric generation capacity which profits the nation. Read More
Among the proposed multipurpose objectives of this project are , power generation, irrigation, provision of water to Hambanthota district including the International Airport in Hambanthota, and other Industrial projects/units in the wider Hambanthotha district. To the untrained eye and mind the project basically means to divert the Umo oya water to Humbanthota for multi-purposes and in the process generate some 120 Mega Watts of electricity up stream to feed the national grid. On the face of it looks good. But if you analyse the recent trend on some of the Hydro power generation schemes in Sri-Lanka , are based on where the expended water from unit upstream feeds another downstream thus adding output .This method maximises the harnessed Hydro-electric generation capacity which profits the nation. Read More
