Aspects of post conflict development in Jaffna and the Vanni

Abstract

„A River for Jaffna‟, called the Arumugam Plan, after a retired Deputy Director of Irrigation and former General Manager/Director of the Water Resources Board, under retired Chief Justice Hema Basnayake, Chairman, consists of Elephant Pass lagoon scheme, Thondamannar barrage and Ariyalai barrage. Begun in 1950‟s, it was never fully completed. In 2008, although LTTE held Elephant Pass, President Mahinda Rajapakse ordered restoration of Thondamannar and Ariayalai barrages; and the multiple benefits are evident today. After the Nandikadal military victory in May 2009, „Jaffna Water Supply and Sanitation project‟ was announced in the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, designed by Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation, Australia, which does not make full use of the River for Jaffna scheme. Water from Iranamadu reservoir near Kilinochchi, will be pumped to Jaffna, and treated in imported large-scale, centralized Treatment plant. Presently, efforts are being made to combine the two schemes with massive savings in the huge ADB loan, by drawing water from Elephant Pass lagoon after completing that scheme, and using multiple, decentralized Treatment Plant developed in the R&D division of the NWS&DB. However, unexpectedly, a non-career diplomat, qualified in hydro-ecology, and river development work, has condemned the River for Jaffna project. This paper discusses these issues.