Kalu Ganga Dam, Gravity dam in Pallegama, Matale District, Sri Lanka
The Kalu Ganga Dam is a gravity dam in Matale District, Sri Lanka, built across the Kalu Ganga river to form a large reservoir. The concrete structure holds back a considerable volume of water used for irrigation and power generation in the surrounding area.
Work on the dam began in 2007 and was completed in 2011 as part of a national plan to improve water supply and irrigation across the region. Several nearby villages had to be relocated when the reservoir was filled.
The dam sits in a region where rice farming and irrigation have shaped daily life for generations. Water from the reservoir flows through canals to surrounding fields, something that becomes especially visible during the dry season.
The dam is in a rural area, so having your own transport is the most practical way to get there. The best views of the structure are from the surrounding hillsides, and early morning offers cooler temperatures for walking around.
The project was largely financed by China and was among the first major infrastructure works in Sri Lanka completed under Chinese development loans. This model of financing would go on to shape many other projects across the island in the years that followed.
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