Anuradhapura District Secretary and the head of the District Agriculture Committee (DAC) Janaka Jayasundara as instructed Agriculture and the Agrarian Development Officials and farmer organisations representatives to guide the farmers to be cautious whether their bank account numbers were correctly submitted for the purpose of the governments gratuity of Rs. 30,000 offered for a maximum two hectares which is being credited directly to those bank accounts.
Speaking at the recently held district Agriculture Committee monthly meeting at the District Secretariat, Anuradhapura District Secretary Janaka Jayasundara said that the farmers at their discretion could buy fertiliser and any agriculture requirements either from the Agrarian Development Department or the private sector dealers.
Anuradhapura Agrarian Development Assistant Commissioner Rochana Dasanayaka said that the preparation and processing of the date bases concerning the district’s registered farmers in Anuradhapura district under the island wide program has reached its completion.
It was disclosed at the meeting that although the monsoon rains have started, tanks are yet to be filled, due to the slow intermittent raining pattern.
According to the District Irrigation Director Jayantha de Silva, the water capacity of some major tanks were as follows:
Name of Total Present Major tank Capacity Water level (acre feet) percentage
Nuwarawewa 36050 24 percent
Tisawewa 3500 23 percent
Mahawilachchiya 32500 35 percent
Mahakanadarawa 39500 27 percent
Huruluwewa 55000 11.5 percent
Manankattiya 4879 15 percent
Rajangane 81603 71 percent
Nachchaduwa 45150 21 percent
Thuruwila 8157 65 percent
Wahalkada 43000 37 percent
Padaviya 85000 24 percent
He said that the total acreage of irrigable landscape under the major and medium scale tanks in Anuradhapura district is 100,019 acres whereas 69378 acres are cultivated under the major irrigation schemes alone.
He said that during the ongoing 2023/24 Maha season, 66, 247 acres have been cultivated with paddy under medium scale tanks that come under the Irrigation Department.
Additional crops have been grown in 413 acres, under the major and medium tank systems.
District Agriculture Director Lalitha Thenuwara said that for launching the proposed Green Gram and Undhu cultivation project during 2023/24 Maha season in the district Rs. 7.92 million has been allocated and the stocks of seeds are being distributed to needy farmers at Divisional Secretariat level.
Additional District Secretary (Land) Sandya. N.G. Abesekara, Divisional Secretaries and farmer organisation representatives were present.
