Ancient engineers would be ashamed: Rebuilding Sri Lanka with light

Centuries before the world debated net-zero targets or climate resilience, Sri Lanka was living the principles of sustainability. Not in theory, but in soil, stone, and water.

- By HIRAN DALUWATTA

From the 3rd century BC to the 13th century AD, this island known to be the pearl of the Indian Ocean was a beacon of engineering brilliance and agricultural wisdom. Monarchs like King Vasabha, Mahasen, and the great Parakramabahu envisioned and built a hydraulic civilisation so intricate and efficient that it astonished modern engineers and environmentalists alike. The crown jewel of this ancient brilliance? A vast, interconnected web of over 30,000 tanks and canals that collected, conserved, and shared water.

Take the Yodha Ela canal: built in the 5th century, it carried water 87 kilometres from Kala Wewa to Tissa Wewa in Anuradhapura with a gradient of just one inch per 1,000 feet. UNESCO called it “an engineering marvel centuries ahead of its time.” This wasn’t just infrastructure; it was national identity. It was how a small island fed millions, even in drought.

But somewhere along the way, we forgot.

Grand promises, missed potential: The lessons of Mahinda Chinthana

In 2005, the Mahinda Chinthana vision swept in with a surge of nationalist pride and large-scale ambition. It promised to transform Sri Lanka into the “Miracle of Asia” with highways, ports, and airports. And yes, it built big. But it also borrowed big.

Projects like the Hambantota Port and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport were conceived with geopolitical urgency but delivered questionable utility. By 2017, Mattala had earned the title of “world’s emptiest airport” (Forbes, 2016), while Hambantota—struggling under debt—was leased to China for 99 years to settle dues (New York Times, 2018).

The energy sector fared no better. Coal and diesel were prioritised over renewables. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for thermal plants were signed with minimal transparency. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) became a loss-making giant, bleeding over Rs. 100 billion annually by 2021 (PUCSL Annual Report 2022).