Ability to take bold decisions leads to sustainable development, Sri Lanka President says

The Ability to take bold decisions paves the way for sustainable development, and Upper Kothmale hydropower station is an example Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa said today.


President Rajapaksa made these remarks during an inspection tour of the Upper Kothmale hydropower tunnel that was constructed to channel water from the Kothmale stream to the hydropower station.
The hydropower station is a solution to the future demands for electricity of the country, the President said, adding that the whole country will have electricity by 2012.
The public is allowed to view the 12.9 km length and 5.2 meters wide tunnel, considered to be the longest tunnel in the country for the next three days.
The authorities said the public will be provided with transport and security to view the tunnel with limited access to prevent congestion.
Upper Kothmale hydropower plant which had been in the planning stage for nearly four decades due to political wrangling was finally commenced construction in March 2006.
The Upper Kothmale Hydropower Project is the final, large scale hydropower project to be built in Sri Lanka.
The project at a cost of US$ 350 million is mainly funded by the Government of Japan under a loan agreement through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
When completed, the project implemented by the Ceylon Electricity Board, is expected to provide 409 GWh annually to the national grid with an installed capacity of 150MW.
Ministers Patali Champika Ranawaka, Arumugan Thondaman, C.B. Ratnayake, Deputy Ministers Muttu Sivalingam, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Premalal Jayasekara, Governor of Central Province Tikkiri Kobbekaduwa, Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayaka, and Japanese Ambassador Kunio Takahashi also participated.