The €177.8 million project is being carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development, with financing from the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union. The project aims to provide sustainable livelihoods for the population of the river basin and contribute to the climate change resilience of the districts of Batticaloa and Ampara in the Eastern Province.
The project will require the construction of two reservoirs: a new reservoir in Maha-Oya in Ampara District (with a storage capacity of 80 x 106 m3) and the amalgamation of two existing reservoirs of Rugam and Kithulwewa across the river in Batticoloa District, as well as the construction of new irrigation and drainage facilities on a new areas of 9000 ha and rehabilitation of the existing canal system on an area of 4200 ha. The project is designed to increase water storage capacity for irrigation and drinking purposes, to increase and improve irrigation and drainage schemes and, to provide the tools and capacity building to improve practices in water resources’ management and to promote climate smart agriculture in the watershed. It is expected to foster the technical, organizational and logistic capacities to efficiently use and sustainably manage the water resources and mitigate the drought risks in the river basin and the flood risk in the downstream urban area as well as to improve sustainable agricultural and livestock productivity.
The consultancy services to be undertaken over a period of five to six years will require: review of the hydro metrological data and provision of additional hydrological and flood studies to determine the relevant height of the Rugam-Kithul dam, in coordination with the E&S consultant and conduct additional investigations including necessary geophysical investigation and additional bore hole drilling, if required; preparation of preliminary designs and detailed designs, drawings, and estimates for the dams, according to ICOLD guidelines, including related infrastructure; preparation of specifications and tender documents for contracts; assistance to the PMIU in the tendering process including evaluation of bids, assistance in negotiation and signatures of works contract for construction of the dams and extension and rehabilitation of the irrigation schemes; supervision during construction including quality control; validation of the execution plan and work-environmental and social management plans and follow-up implementation; and, assist PMIU/PIU for acceptance of works and post-construction monitoring during defects liability period. The full tender notices and further related documents are available on the websites of the Treasury and Ministry of Irrigation at www.treasury.gov.lk/web/guest/procurement-notice and www.irrigationmin.gov.lk or from AFD’s website at https://tenders-afd.dgmarket.com.
For further information, contact the PMU office, Mundeni Aru River Basin Development, Badulla Road, Chenkalady; Tel: +94 652241204/776754251; Email: mundeniaru@gmail.com; and/or Nihal Sriiwardena, Chairman, Cabinet Appointed Consultancy Procurement Committee, 11 Jawatha Road, Colombo-5, Colombo, Western 00500; Tel: +94 112586311; Email: adgicd303@gmail.com
