Deduru Oya Dam

07°43′06″N 80°16′28″E / 7.71833°N 80.27444°E / 7.71833; 80.27444PurposeIrrigationStatusOperationalConstruction began2008Opening date2014Construction costRs. 9.5 billionDam and spillwaysType of damEmbankmentImpoundsDeduru OyaHeight20 m (66 ft)Length2,400 m (7,900 ft)Spillways8ReservoirCreatesDeduru Oya ReservoirTotal capacity75,000,000 m³ (2.6×10⁹ cu ft)Deduru Oya Power StationOperator(s)MOPECommission date2014TypeConventionalInstalled capacity1.5 MW

The Deduru Oya Dam is an embankment dam built across the Deduru River in Kurunegala District of Sri Lanka. Built in 2014, the primary purpose of the dam is to retain for irrigation purposes approximately a billion cubic metres of water, which would otherwise flow out to sea. Site studies of the dam began in 2006 and construction started in 2008. It was ceremonially completed in 2014, with the presence of then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.^[1]

Site studies and design of the dam was done by engineers from the Ministry of Irrigation. The dam, which measures approximately 2,400 m (7,900 ft) wide, creates the Deduru Oya Reservoir, which has a capacity of 75,000,000 m³ (2.6×10⁹ cu ft). Water from the reservoir is used to irrigate approximately 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) of farmland, while also powering a 1.5 megawatt hydroelectric power station, operated by the Ministry of Power and Energy.^[2]

In addition to the eight sluice gates, water from the reservoir is channelled from the reservoir (for irrigation) via three canals, namely the Left Canal, Central Canal, and the South Canal. The South Canal is a trans-basin concrete canal measuring 33 km (21 mi), channelling water from the Deduru Oya Reservoir to the Inginimitiya Reservoir at a flow rate of 300 cu ft/s (8.5 m³/s).^[3]

See also

• List of dams and reservoirs in Sri Lanka
• List of power stations in Sri Lanka

References

External links

• "Deduru Oya Reservoir Project to be commissioned tomorrow". News.lk. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 13 October 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.