Despite protests and political pressure, the government will continue efforts to remove unauthorized settlements encroaching on tank reserves in order to safeguard Sri Lanka’s irrigation systems, Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation Minister K.D. Lal Kantha said.
Speaking at the launch of the Cascade Management Committee Manual under the World Bank-funded Climate Smart Irrigation Agriculture Project, the Minister said encroachments remain a major obstacle to the restoration and protection of tank reserves and cascade irrigation systems that are vital for agriculture and national water security.
“Tank reserves must be free from unauthorized encroachments. This step cannot be stopped on the basis of words, friendship or political interference,” he stressed.
Minister Lal Kantha noted that the government has already begun relocating settlements from certain tank reserves, including the Kandy Tank in Anuradhapura, but acknowledged that resistance has emerged from some residents affected by the process.
He assured that those resettled would be adequately compensated and supported with improved livelihood opportunities, adding that resettlement initiatives would be carried out alongside development programmes such as the Mahaweli Development Project.
“If people are given a better life, it will not become a problem,” the Minister said.
The Minister also criticised suggestions by some officials to modify tank reserve boundaries to accommodate nearby residents, warning that such approaches would undermine the long-term protection of critical water infrastructure.
“I do not believe tank reserves can be protected as long as there are officials with such a mentality,” he added.
