Abstract:
The Mahaweli Ganga Multi-purpose Development scheme is
the biggest public investment programme ever conceived
and executed in this country. Sri Lanka had to undertake
this challenge immediately as a possible alternative,
left-over against the imperative issues of keeping the
nation fed, the collossal annual drain of foreign exchange
stemming from the need to import food and oil-fed energy,
acute unemployment and to establish human settlements
in the Dry zone to accommodate land less people and to
reduce the congestion of densly populated areas in the
Wet zone. Thus the vision to re-create a fldurishing
modern civilisation comprising all aspects, economic,
social, physical and environmental. The achievement of
most of the above targets are now being causing the reality
in the Mahaweli areas to take place-as scheduled.
Of all the planning and development of
in irrigation systems, based
of settlements, urban centres
Systems, and the Hamlets at
context public investment has
Human settlements
on the suggested
stand at the top
the lowest level.
been allocated in
continuing
hierarchy
level in
In this
two segment viz;
(a) agricultural settlement development and
(b) service based urban c~ntre development.
Though the initial
by the government
in urban centres it
private investment.
investment have been
to provide necessary
appears to be less
made available
infrastructure
attractive for
Further, compared to traditional urban centres outside
the Mahaweli area it seems that less contr ibut ion of private
sector investment takes place in the economic development
of the Mahaweli region.
