Farmers in Hiriyala, whose main water source for their work is the Bathalagoda Reservoir, said that the tank’s water levels have dropped in the recent past due to the construction of a fertiliser company. In 2006, a one-acre section of the tank was filled and used to set up a private fertiliser company, they told the Daily News.
Farmers said that they staged several protests against the company until it was closed in 2009 as the institution’s activities were hindering the local fishing industry.
However, even though the Hiriyala Irrigation Engineer had pledged to the Bathalagoda Coopearative Fisheries Society to restore the filled area of the tank, it was not followed through, they added.
They said that since then, although the matter has been brought to the notice of the authorities on a number of occasions, no action has been taken so far to rectify the issue.
Farmers added that at present, the area is overrun with shrubs and is frequented by drug addicts.
Moreover, another group of people have encroached on a portion of the tank for illegal cultivation, they said.
The Hiriyala Irrigation Engineer’s Office, when questioned regarding the issue, said that they would look into it immediately.
