Commander Makes a Surprise Visit to Karuwalagaswewa Tank Renovation Work under ‘Sirisara Pivisuma’

With the intention of giving a moral boost to the troops, dedicated to the nation-building roles under the Presidential Secretariat’s ‘Sirisara Pivisuma’ development project, now underway in the East of the country, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Army on Friday (03) made a surprise visit to the renovation site at Karuwalagaswewa tank in Pansal Godella and received a first-hand evaluation of the status quo while talking to the troops at work.

Army Engineer troops, slashing the earlier estimated cost to save Rs 70 million for the government expect to enhance the water capacity of the tank under renovation to 355 acre feet from the existing 255 acre feet after digging and necessary renovation work.

Accompanied by Major General Santhusitha Pananwala, Commander, Security Forces - East (SF-E), Major General Dudley Weeraman, Chief Field Engineer, Major General Aruna Jayasekara, General Officer Commanding, 22 Division and Brigadier Neranjan Ramanayake, Project Director, ‘Sirisara Pivisuma’ project and a couple of other Officers, the Commander of the Army made inquiries into different aspects, related to ongoing work and benefits that would bring to the public.

Tank water can be utilized to cultivate 188 acres, belonging to 160 farming families. The length of its surrounding bund is about 850 meters and is of 12.5 feet in width. Army engineers are poised to take away some 25,000 cubes of soil from inside the tank, enabling water capacity to go up.

The work is being carried out under the supervision of Lieutenant Colonel Priyantha Dissanayake, Tanks Renovation Direction Officer of the ‘Sirisara Pivisuma’ project.

Earlier, the Army estimated the cost to be Rs 24,366,000.00. However, the Army undertook the project saving Rs 70 million.