Moragahakanda project at a standstill; iron rods cut down to pay workers

A section of the multi-billion rupee Moragahakanda project has come to a standstill and the iron rods are being cut down to pay the salaries of the employees, a Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority official said recently.

They said the construction of Elahera ela, which began with the objective of diverting water to the north, has come to a standstill after the private constructing company was removed.

D. M. Wijeratne, project engineer for the Moragahakanda scheme's Kalu Ganga project, said project employees were being paid after iron rods installed for the project were cut down.

As the contractor had violated the contract, the company has been removed and they have been instructed to remove all equipment, Mr Wijeratne said.

However their vehicles have been held back by the Authority, he added.

The foundation stone for the project was laid by former President Maithripala Sirisena and the construction of the Elahara ela was to be completed last year. The project aims at providing water for 80,000 families in the North Central province, by transfering water from the Moragahakanda reservoir to the Mahakanadarawa wewa – a distance of 95 km.

The project has now come to a complete standstill and some workers have not been paid.

An investigation by the Sunday Times revealed that a large number of people were cutting the iron rods off the partially built project.

In some places they have dug trenches to cut the iron rods, causing a risk to wild animals in the area, said the area's wildlife department officer