Former saviours of Parakrama Samudraya

I refer to the article written by Mr. Palitha Manchanayaka in The Island regarding the Parakrama Samudraya bund on which a jogging path was to be constructed. First, may I say I endorse his views on the past activities, which led to the rehabilitation of the Parakrama Samudraya bund. About the technicalities he explains, I have no doubt, though I am not an engineer.

I remember Mr. Sivalingam, the then Chief Irrigation Engineer of the Polonnaruwa District, meeting me and discussing the problems that would arise if the bund was not breached. I agreed with the dangerous, perilous status that would arise. In fact, I went to the bund with him and some others that night to observe the plight. However, I was reluctant to accept his proposition due to a few practical situations I envisaged. They were:

(1) the extent of physical damages that would happen to the infrastructure by heavy flooding;

(2) the damage to the human habitats located down-stream;

(3) as mentioned by Mr. Manchanayaka, the larger issue of how to irrigate a vast extent of paddy lands under cultivation since the Maha season has already started;

(4) coping with cultivation in the interim period for reconstruction (even two years);

(5) the expenditure to sustain the Parakrama Samudra colonists for at least two years until the reconstruction work is completed;

(6) cost saving by rehabilitation against reconstruction after breaching.

These should be resolved by the Head of a District, in consultation and participation of senior engineers. I was not inclined to agree with breaching, though my engineering knowledge was limited to Brohier’s and Arumugam’s books plus the practicalities I had acquired in Polonnaruwa from 1975.

Therefore, when Mr. Sivlingam discussed this issue, I threw open the suggestion to watch the intake of water into the tank with the overnight rain. I was praying the catchment areas would not receive rain. He was agreeable, and the rain Gods (Vassavalahaka devas= Rain-Gods) stood with me! My disagreement with Mr. Sivalingam in the event the bund breached on its own would have put me into a bitter situation in my career, I knew, since the decision was to be mine against the engineer’s recommendation. And as stated by Mr. Manchanayaka, the water level that was almost spilling over the bund, subsided since the rain ceased in the catchment. We kept all sluice gates open since early morning of 24th November 1978. As Mr. Manchanayaka has mentioned, finally, we succeeded in providing water to the farmers until the Maha season was over.

I must mention with great admiration and appreciation that Mr. ADS Gunawardhana, who was the Irrigation Engineer in charge of Parakrama Samudraya, did a marvelous job working day and night to save the bund and supplying irrigated water downstream. I knew he had difficulties from some officials who were inclined to other misuses, but Mr. Gunawardhana, being the honest officer of the highest caliber, did not give in to any pressure and went through the whole operation, reinforcing the bund and even cleaning the canal system to the best capacity. His integrity was so high when the Yaahapalanaya government was in office, and President Maithripala Sirisena wanted recommendations for the Tender Appeal Board. We had the perfect choice in Mr. ADS Gunawardhana.

I do not wish to make any adverse comment on the incumbent District Administration and the Irrigation Department (in Polonnaruwa) on technical issues for which I am not qualified to do so, but I was surprised to hear on ‘Sirasa’ the district officers casually stating that the construction of a jogging track would not pose any danger to the tank bund.

It was shocking to see on televisioin boulders being displaced. Mr. Manchanayaka explains it succinctly. The authorities withdrawing from the project itself is an endorsement of the correctness of my layman’s thinking, and proof of the District Administration’s unfounded gullible comments regarding the bund. Further, as a person who was administratively involved in the rehabilitation efforts, 43 years back, I will be pleased if the withdrawal was made on a scientific engineering evaluation, and not on the Bhikkus’ protests.

I do not wish to declare any expertise on scientific irrigation systems or infrastructures, but state as a person who contributed to saving this bund along with my engineering colleagues 43 years back, that if any adverse effect is caused due to any sinful action, they will be cursed by the farmer population for generations under the Parakrama Samudraya, the age-old historical irrigation marvel of King Parakramabahu.

AUSTIN FERNANDO