Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena stated that the Uma Oya project, which converts water into electricity, is set to be handed over to the people in a few weeks.

 “I went to inspect the Uma Oya project last week,” he added.

The Uma Oya hydroelectricity project will add 120 megawatts of electricity to the national grid and irrigate barren lands in several districts. The tunnel is 15 kilometres long while the power house transformer, which is scheduled to generate electricity by the middle of this year, is nearly 50 metres below the surface.

The Premier spoke to project officials and the engineers of the Iranian company who have been entrusted with the construction work.

The tunnel will also divert 145 million cubic metres (MCM) annually from the Uma Oya Basin to the Kirindi Oya Basin to irrigate 4,500 hectares (ha) of new lands and 1,500 ha of existing lands.

The Uma Oya project will also provide 39 MCM annually for the industrial and drinking water requirement of the Badulla, Monaragala, and Hambantota Districts. The cost of the project is $ 514 million. The two dams comprise the Dyraaba Dam, which is 50 metres high, and the Puhulpola Dam which has a height of 35 metres. There are two tunnels, the Headcraft Tunnel which is 15.3 kilometres, and the Link Tunnel which is 3.9 kilometres long.