Moragahakanda Dam, Irrigation and gravity dam in Matale District, Sri Lanka

The Moragahakanda Dam is a 65 m high gravity dam across the Amban River at Elahera, Matale District, completed in 2018. Its crest carries a weathered grey parapet wall; below it, metal scaffolding in rectangular bays holds wooden formwork panels against the concrete face, which slopes down to the water. The dam creates the Kulasinghe Reservoir, holding 521,000,000 m3 at 185 m elevation.

King Wasaba built a reservoir at this location in 111 AD, laying the foundation for the modern use of the site. The current dam was constructed centuries later, drawing on a long tradition of water management.

The structure received the name Kulasinghe Reservoir in 2018, honoring Dr. A.N.S. Kulasinghe, a civil engineer from Sri Lanka who shaped the country. The renaming shows how such projects also serve as monuments to professionals involved in development.

The site is accessible from Matale town via roads that wind through the central highlands. A visit works best during daylight, when the water surface and the engineering parts of the facility are clearly visible.

The facility consists of three separate dams that share one reservoir and bring together different construction methods. This approach allows the design to adapt to the terrain while using both embankment and roller compacted concrete.