The Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Department of Irrigation has commissioned a state-of-the-art automated sluice gate management system along the historic Parakrama Samudra reservoir today, September 30, 2026.

Built by King Parakramabahu I in the 12th century, the colossal ancient water body irrigates over 30,000 acres of prime rice cultivation land across Polonnaruwa and Thamankaduwa. The new SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system integrates automated ultrasonic water level gauges and satellite weather telemetric data, allowing hydrological controllers to calibrate water releases within centimeter precision. Irrigation engineers noted that the automated control network eliminates manual sluice gate delays, maximizes water retention during sudden monsoon downpours, and guarantees dependable tail-end water delivery to smallholder paddy farmers.