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Construction begins at Upper Kotmale

by Ranil Wijayapala

The Power and Energy Ministry will commence the construction work on the 150 MW Upper Kotmale hydropower project targeting to meet the future power demand of the country on May 20 amidst protests by environmentalists over the project.

This will be the third underground power station in the country after Kotmale and Kukule Ganga. Once completed in six years this hydro power station will inject 534 million units of power annually.

The entire project will cost Rs.35 billion (US $ 380 million) and the Japanese Government has funded the project by providing a Japanese Yen 33 billion soft loan. The local investment will be US $ 83 million.

The engineering services feasibility for the Upper Kotmale project was completed in 1994.

However, environmental clearance for the project was given only in March 2000 due to protests by environmentalists regarding the decrease of water flowing to two major waterfalls St. Clares and Devon.

According to the engineering feasibility, the proposed hydropower project will be set up in the upper stream of the Kotmala oya after constructing regulation ponds.

There will be dams across Devon Oya, St. Andrew Stream, Kuda Oya, Pundulu Oya, Puna Oya, Ramboda Oya, Dusiane Oya and Kotmala Oya to feed these regulation ponds.

Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya and Japanese Ambassador Seiichiro Otsuka will participate in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Upper Kotmale project near Talawakele on May 20.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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