The inauguration of the Diaraba Reservoir built under the Uma Oya Multi-Purpose Project and of water release to the Diaraba reservoir from the Puhulpola Reservoir took place yesterday under the patronage of Minister of Irrigation and Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Roshan Ranasinghe and Minister of Ports, Shipping and Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva
Diyaraba Reservoir opened as the first phase of the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project and water is directed from Puhulpola Reservoir, which is the main reservoir of this project, to Diyaraba Reservoir through a tunnel.
Unit 1 of Uma Oya Hydro Power Plant will be available for power generation to the Ceylon Electricity Board from August 2023.
A delegation from Farab, the Construction company of the Uma Oya Multipurpose Irrigation Facility informed the Minister of Power and Energy that Unit 2 will be made available by September 2023.
120 MW of Hydro power will be added to the national grid once competed.
Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project is being implemented by the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management. The Project is located in the Welimada area in Badulla District.
The Project includes the components of construction of two dams across Uma Oya and a tributary at Welimada, trans-basin diversion tunnel, and underground hydropower plant, diversion of 145MCM of water to irrigate approximately 5000 hectares of land in Hambantota and Monaragala Districts and other downstream requirements.
The expected annual energy production is 290 GWh. The Total estimated cost of the project is 529 USD Million, according to the website of the Ministry of Power and Energy.
Four reservoirs- Alikota Ara reservoir, Diaraba reservoir, Puhulpola reservoir and Handapanagala reservoir, were constructed under the mega project to divert 145 million cubic meters of water from the Uma Oya Basin, without impacting its environmental and other water needs to the Kirindi Oya Basin in the water-scarce Southern Zone.
The water from these reservoirs is used for irrigation of 50,000 acres of dry land and is also used to meet drinking water needs of Greater Bandarawela area.
Alikotaara and Kuda Oya reservoirs are also used to provide water for agricultural purposes. Here, the water capacity of the Hadapanagala reservoir will be increased by the Kuda Oya Reservoir.
The Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project will also generate 120 Megawatt of electricity and the electricity generated at Uma Oya will be transmitted through a transmission line to Badulla, where it will be added to the national grid.
This project was initiated in the year 2008 by the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with funds from the Iranian government and during the time of the former President Maithripala Sirisena, many activities of the multi-purpose project were carried out.
For this occasion, Ambassador of Iran to Sri Lanka Hashem Ashjazadeh the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister of Irrigation Roshan Ranasinghe, State Minister of Irrigation Shasheendra Rajapaksa, State Minister of Primary Industries Chamara Sampath Dasanayake Secretary of the Ministry of Irrigation, Mr. U.D.C.Jayalal, Managing Director of Farab Institute, Dr. Ali Wakili, Project Director of Uma Oya Multipurpose Project, Eng. Alakanda and the public representatives and general public participated in the event.
