The Irrigation Department, supported by technical engineering battalions of the Sri Lanka Army and local agrarian development officers, has entered the final phase of deep silt removal and weir restoration across 15 interconnected ancient tanks in the Anuradhapura district.

The Rs. 52 million project restores the traditional Ellangawa (cascade) hydrology that has sustained Rajarata agriculture for millennia. In addition to desilting sediment accumulation to restore natural storage volume, engineers are installing demand-managed piped distribution networks (PDNs) to replace degraded open earthen ditches. Agronomists calculate that the enclosed piping infrastructure reduces evaporation and seepage water losses by more than 35%, ensuring equitable water allocation to downstream smallholders during peak dry spells.