Prez instructs to rehabilitate 5,000 tanks immediately

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today directed relevant authorities to rehabilitate 5,000 tanks scattered across the island following a mechanism combining ancient technology and modern scientific methods, the President’s Media Division said.

It said in parallel to this initiative, the “National Food Production Contribution Programme” covering 120,000 abandoned paddy lands will also be launched.

Tanks will be rehabilitated under “Wari Saubhagya” programme. The assistance of Civil Defence Force will be secured to expedite the project.

The proposed programme was reviewed in length during the meeting to discuss future activities of the State Ministry of Development of Rural Paddy Fields and Associated Tanks, Reservoirs and Irrigation held at the Presidential Secretariat.

“A project to rehabilitate tanks was carried out earlier too. It came under strong criticism by the experts as well as the public. This is due to the fact that despite dredging of tanks, ancient techniques and scientific methods of water retention were not used. Such shortcoming should be avoided and rehabilitation should proceed in a manner specific to each area and tank under a common criterion,” the President said.