Moragahakanda Dam

The Moragahakanda Dam (), officially Kulasinghe Reservoir, is a large gravity dam, and the main component of the larger and more complex Moragahakanda — Kalu Ganga Project, across the Amban River at Elahera, in the Matale District of Sri Lanka. Construction began on and was completed in 2018. The maiden water release of the dam was in January 2017.
Morgahakanda/Kaluganga project is the last of the Great Mahaveli project

The larger combined project involves the construction of the Moragahakanda Dam and Reservoir, along with the separate Kalu Ganga Dam and Reservoir, for irrigation and power generation purposes. Both these sites would be located approximately apart.

The total development cost for both sites totals to approximately (approximately ) and is being carried out by SMEC Holdings and Sinohydro.

A granite Buddha statue built opposite the Moragahakanda reservoir was unveiled on 23 July 2018.

History

The original Moragahakanda reservoir was first constructed by King Wasaba in 111 AD.

Mahaweli Development programme

According to the Mahaweli Master Plan of 1968, the development of Mahaweli was divided to three projects named A, B and C out of which the last 'C' project was the Moragahakanda Multi-Purpose Reservoir. In 1977 the project was modified and the Accelerated Mahaweli Scheme(AMS) started and was completed in 6 years. However Moragahakanda was not in the AMS. The J.R. Jayewardene Government would later secure funding for the project from Japan but communal violence delayed the project. The construction of the project commenced on 2007 and completed in 2018.

Dam and reservoir

The Moragahakanda Dam, is a high gravity dam. The dam created the Moragahakanda Reservoir, which has an active storage capacity of of water, at a surface elevation of .

Two additional embankment saddle dams will also be built to contain the Moragahakanda Reservoir. The reservoir of the Kalu Ganga Dam will be linked via tunnel.

Primary uses

Irrigation

Water from both, the Moragahakanda and Kalu Ganga reservoirs, will be primarily used to support agricultural needs to an area of at least . This will increase rice production by 81% or , amounting to an estimated monetary benefit of , annually.

Inland fishing

The reservoirs would also create a source of inland fishing, generating approximately or the monetary equivalent of , annually.

Water supply

Along with the reservoir of the Kalu Ganga Dam, an increase of of potable and industrial water supply could be ensured by 2032, to regions including Matale, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, and Polonnaruwa.

Power generation

Water from the Moragahakanda Reservoir is used to power the Moragahakanda Hydroelectric Power Station. The substitution of this hydropower with traditional fossil fuel power generation is estimated to save up to annually. *[This latter claim requires correction, as it is impossible to generate this much power from a 25-megawatt generator in one year. The maximum power possible from a 25-megawatt generator at .06 per kw (wholesale) is $13.14 million (US).]

Construction of the power station costs , with an .

Roads and bridges

The construction of the dam and reservoir also required the construction of multiple access roads and rerouting of existing main roads, as well as the construction of the long Moragahakanda Bridge costing .

Rename

On 23 July 2018, under the patronage of president Maithreepala Sirisena, the reservoir has been officially named as ''Kulasinghe Reservoir'', in memory of late Dr. A.N.S. Kulasinghe. Deshabandu Dr. A.N.S Kulasinghe was a Sri Lankan Civil Engineer who served in several projects throughout the country.

See also

* List of dams and reservoirs in Sri Lanka
* List of power stations in Sri Lanka

References

External links

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{{Inland waters of Sri Lanka

Moragahakanda
Gravity dams
Hydroelectric power stations in Sri Lanka
Buildings and structures in Matale District