The Navy rendered assistance to repair the defunct sluice gates of Weheragala reservoir in Thanamalwila and helped to bring them back to the operational condition.
Responding to a request by the Department of Irrigation from the Naval Headquarters regarding possible assistance, as the Department of Irrigation was in a spot of bother being unable to lift 03 sluice gates due to a fault in the lifting mechanism, the Navy promptly dispatched a diving team attached to the Southern Naval Command to undertake this responsible task on 18th November 2019.
After 04 days of underwater operation, on 21st November, the Navy’s diving team managed to repair the sluice gates’ lifting cables which had been broken at the bottom. The Department of Irrigation expressed their gratitude to the Navy for swift assistance rendered in this stressful time.
The Weheragala reservoir provides water for cultivating 500 hectares of land in both the Yala and Maha seasons in the Monaragala district and serves drinking water to Katharagama as well.