Mahaweli land to businessmen while young generation lack land for farming

(December 08, 2010) Sri Lanka Minister of Irrigation and Water Management Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the land of Sri Lanka's Mahaweli development zones would be offered to the local entrepreneurs as and incentive.

The Minister said to local radio channel Hiru FM that 50 acres each would be allocated to 250 selected local businessmen.

The land is to be allocated to the businessmen for agricultural, animal husbandry and industrial projects, said the Minister.

The farmers suspect that this can be a move to offer valuable farmlands to businessman close to the government while the young generations of the Mahaweli colonizers face a severe problem of scarcity of land for farming.

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Posted in Irrigation and Water Management Nimal , Mahaweli , Nimal Siripala de Silva

Water Management degree course to be introduced in a Sri Lankan university

(May 24, 2010) Sri Lanka Minister of Irrigation and Water Management Nimal Siripala de Silva says that a degree course on water management will be introduced to Sri Lankan universities.

He said that water management has become a top priority in the modern world since water has become a scarce resource.

The attempts of Sri Lanka government in connivance with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to commercialize water resources in the island came under severe criticism by activists a decade ago.

The Minister further said that this degree course will be hosted by Uva –Wellassa university situated in Badulla district he represents.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva revealed these facts addressing the gathering after opening a computer laboratory in a school in Welimada. He has just returned from Geneva where he presided the World Health Assembly convention.

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Posted in Nimal Siripala de Silva , Uva-Wellassa university , water management , Water Management degree , water market