…are you aware of the current status
of the great reservoirs coming under Mahaweli project? 65% of Rantambe
reservoir is filled with mud. 35% of Randenigala reservoir is filled with mud.
How old is this reservoir? It is not even 40 years old. Can you guess how old Sorabora
reservoir is? It is 2,200 years old. The waters of Sorabora reservoir, still, feed
the nation. It is, still, in progress. It is, still, in its shining beauty. It
brings joy for the mind. It brings food for the hunger. Sorabora is a reservoir
which takes care of your mind as well as your physical body. There are two
great stone sluice gates associated with Sorabora reservoir. It is 2,200 years
old. It is not 'dead' yet. Then, Randenigala reservoir? It is, now, 'suffering with'
a cancer. 35% is already finished. Rantambe reservoir? 65% is filled with mud. This
reservoir also 'suffers with' a cancer. It will survive for few years. We will
build houses. But, they do not last long. How long will these buildings
survive? 1,000 years? It is very doubtful. Palaces built by the kings are no
more. Today, one can see only their ruins. But, there is one thing left in the
country. What is that? Only these reservoirs are left for the future.
Parakrama Samudra (Sea of the Great King Parakrama) is 1,100 years old. Minneriya
reservoir is 1,700 years old. Kala Wewa is 1,500 years old. Sorabora reservoir
is 2,200 years old. Making of this particular reservoir was started in 183 B.C.
How did it survive to this date? It was a part of mother nature. Its development
was based on the inter relationship between man and the nature. It was not built
by the loans taken from the World Bank. The technology of a foreign land was not
used for it. It was built with our own money and technology. Please do not say
'NO' to our own knowledge coming from the past. We will have to understand it.
If there is anything of the past to be praised, if it was accepted by the
mother nature, we should welcome it. Sorabora Wewa is a part of the mother
nature. It functions well to this day. New technology? What did happen to Rantambe
reservoir which was built with foreign loans? It's time to examine and analyze
our ancient civilization backed by our incomparable irrigation. It is great. It
is marvelous. It is very scientific. The technology used was great, in deed.
Who is really responsible for destroying
our great reservoirs? It was the Whiteman. The British imperialist did colonize
us. They came to our land, worked towards their plan and destroyed our
reservoirs. In the time of the Welassa rebellion in 1818, there had been 100,000
paddy fields in Monaragala itself. If there were 100,000 paddy fields, 100,000
canals or reservoirs should be there to get waters for these fields. If that
was the case in the past, how can we expect a scarcity of water today in a
region which was a strong water catchment basin once? In
the time of the Welassa rebellion, The British was surprised over the mental
and physical strength of the Sinhalese race. 'There are 100,000 paddy fields…
there is enough of food in surroundings… these Sinhalese have their own prosperous
lands…. they have plenty of food…' the imperialists thought to themselves. 'Hence,
to defeat this land, mental and physical strength of these Sinhalese should be
attacked well. To do this… their reservoirs should be destroyed… their trees should
be destroyed… their temples and monasteries should be wiped out…' And, of
course, the imperialists did all these. They stated the process of destroying
water reservoirs. For this matter, they grew pine trees in the central mountain
region. They grew tea and coffee in the central mountain region. They destroyed
all main vegetations. The central mountain region or Maha Ihaththaawa of
our country is an region where we had our rain forests. In the past, our
ancestors built reservoirs not in this very mountain region, but, in the lower plains.
They considered the central mountain region as the region for the rain forests.
But, later, all these virgin forests were destroyed by the British. The
Whiteman handed over the country to the hands of the local leaders and expected
those locals to continue with what the British did. So, with or without their
knowledge, some scholars and leaders, still, destroy these reservoirs. They 'slaughter'
the natural water springs. They 'slaughter' the rivers. When a human is dead,
his body will be decomposed by the earth. And the same will happen with the trees
as well. In fact, it is a benefit to the future. If a water spring, river or a
mountain is 'slaughtered', will it be decomposed? we question that. Please
think well. A factory can be established. A boutique or a shop can be opened. But,
a water spring cannot be made. No any human being can 'produce' them. The beings
can be bred. And, also the trees. But not the water springs. The rivers cannot
be bred either. They should be taken care of. We should plan to look after
them. We should feel it. It is impossible to estimate the value of the things
we may lose in our land.
Once, Oscar Wilde said 'The Value
and The Price are not the same. They are two different things'. The waters taken
from Uma Oya to Kirindi Oya can be measured in numbers and it is 145 mil. cubic
meters. No one can value it. It may have a price but not a value for it. But,
when these waters flow across the Uma Oya valley, can we price its value? The one
who in interested only in the price but not the value is considered as 'a bastard'
by Oscar Wilde, once.
