Kivul Oya Project: EIA report claims positives will outweigh negatives

Inhabitants of Weli Oya to benefit immensely, but several historical sites to be affected and existing human-elephant conflict to increase with further habitat loss

The remains of an ancient monastery will be dismantled and restored inside an elephant corridor under plans to dam the Kivul Oya and irrigate 2,400 hectares of land in the Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts.

The Mahaweli Ministry project proposes creating a reservoir by damming Kivul Oya, the main tributary of Ma Oya, which originates in East Vavuniya and runs into Kokkilai lagoon in the Mullaitivu district. The reservoir will be in Vavuniya while the irrigable lands are in both districts.

Sixteen families are to be resettled, says an Environment Impact Assessment ( EIA) report now open for public examination. But the total number of direct beneficiaries will be 6,000 Sinhalese farmer families while around 50,000 will receive drinking water.

The inhabitants of Weli Oya were resettled there in 1983 by the Government. Most do not own lands with irrigation facilities for paddy cultivation. Their main source of income is agriculture. While there are cultivable lands, there is no water so they grow paddy only during the rains.

Water supply, sanitation and access roads in the project area are poor. Education, health and housing are still not developed. And, as these villages were affected by conflict, the living standards of inhabitants are well below the average of other parts of the country.

The total project cost is estimated at

Rs 7bn, including irrigation infrastructure at Rs 6.3bn and environmental mitigation at Rs 832mn. It will be funded by the Sri Lanka Government and take four years to complete, the EIA says.

However, several sites of historical importance will be affected. In addition to relocating the monastery in Ve d i we t t u k a l l u South, the Archaeology Department has recommended preserving an ancient anicut in Nika Wewa called Wannadi Palama; declaring an ancient Dagoba at Podigalkanda, monastery ruins at Helamba Wewa, a site with artefacts at Nikawewa and a rock temple at Kiri Ibban Wewa as archaeological reserves; and defining an ancient burial area in Kiri Ibban Wewa South as an archaeological site.

There could be an exacerbation of the existing human-elephant conflict as project implementation will cause further habitat loss. The Wildlife Department has expressed concern about movement of wild elephants and other species. Therefore, project planners have set aside an elephant corridor downstream of the main dam. It i s h e re t hat t he Vediwettukallu monastery is to be relocated to.

There will be habitat loss owing to inundation and forest clearance for agriculture. It is estimated that around 2,500 hectares of forestland presently inhabited by wildlife will disappear. The new settlement to be located downstream of the reservoir’s left bank will see an elevation of human-elephant conflict owing to the loss of around 1,500 hectares of habitat, the EIA says.

But the EIA insists the positive outcomes of the project outweigh the negative impacts, even where it concerns the environment and other factors. For instance, aquatic habitats will be created to enhance inland fish production. Increased humidity coupled with other factors could contribute towards increased rainfall in the area. New and old paddy lands will receive water for cultivation during both seasons.

Livestock production will get a boost. The road network and other infrastructure will improve along with health and education facilities. The project will generate employment especially during the construction phase.

To mitigate human- elephant conflict caused by habitat loss, the EIA suggests a well-designed electric fence along the boundary of the proposed elephant corridor maintained by the local community under the supervision of the Wildlife Department. And there must be additional funds for at least 50km more of electric fence should new conflict centres arise.

If such a clash involves permanent land use (where there is human settlement and perennial crops), those areas should be protected by a permanent electric fence. But if it is in a region of semi- permanent land use ( paddy fields, chena cultivation), there could be temporary fences during period of use after which they are dismantled till the next cycle of use. This will allow elephants to access those places as well as ensure their free movement.