The monsoon will soon be with us -are we prepared?

The south west monsoon period will commence during the last week of this month. The rains are of course a necessary part of our agriculture-driven economy and no one wishes the monsoon will bring us less rainfall, especially in the paddy growing areas of the country.

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During times the local kings held sway in this country, the boast of one of the more famous kings (Parakramabahu) was that not a single drop of rain should wash away into the sea without benefitting the people of the country. The Parakrama Samudra -the Sea of King Parakramaas the name indicates is a man-made reservoir with a surface area of 22.6 square kilometers and has a capacity to provide irrigation to around 109,000 acres of agricultural land.

Like the Parakrama Samudra, in Sri Lanka according to SACEP (South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme), an inter-government organisation, there are an estimated 14,200 small tanks or reservoirs located mainly in the dry and intermediate zones of the country.

These ancient irrigation schemes built during times prior to the European invasions of our country, led to then Ceylon being referred to as the “granary of the East”. This nickname was due to its abundant rice production, which was not only sufficient for the island’s population but also led to surplus for export.