Sri Lankan president lays foundation for POWERCHINA dam project

On July 25 local time, Maithripala Sirisena, the President of Sri Lanka, attended the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the dam foundation of the Kalu Ganga reservoir head works project undertaken by POWERCHINA.

This is the second time that President Maithripala Sirisena has personally visited the site of the K dam since taking office. The project, commenced in April 2014 and after two years of strenuous work, has reached the stage for commencement on the construction of the dam body. To mark the occasion, the Sri Lankans held a traditional, grand cornerstone-laying ceremony for the dam’s foundation. The ceremony was grand, with monks chanting sutras and the spectators praying for blessing on site.

President Maithripala Sirisena praised the hard work undertaken by POWERCHINA throughout the construction process. He thanked the company for the efforts it had taken to ensure the smooth running of the foundation stone laying ceremony and asked all concerned parties in Sri Lanka to wholeheartedly cooperate, so as to ensure the smooth completion of the project.

The President said that the Kalu Ganga reservoir head works project is one of the most pivotal projects in Sri Lanka. Following the project’s completion, the power generation capability of the Moragahakanda Hydropower Station (undertaken by the company) is guaranteed. In addition, it will increase the irrigation capacity of the Abangdi tributary of Mahaweli River in central Sri Lanka, expand the arable land in the drainage basin, and bolster the water supply for agricultural and industrial purposes in the north-central provinces. It will also provide water for industrial areas in the eastern province. This will ultimately improve the lives of people living in the vicinity of the project. Sri Lanka will also continue to deepen its friendly relations with China and further promote bilateral, pragmatic cooperation.

Upwards of 35,000 people were present at the ceremony, including Sri Lankan Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and other government officials, the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang, Commercial Counselor Wang Yingqi, and staff of POWERCHINA’s representative office in Sri Lanka and the project department. Members of the general public also attended.