Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-07-24

Conservation of the Nilwala River Basin

- Kotapola and Pitabaddara areas where the highest rain fall in the Matara District received, suffer from frequent floods. In addition to the loss of lives and property resulting in from the flood situation, damages are caused to the Nilwala river basin, the bridges constructed across the river as well as the roads running parallel to the river. In order to minimize these damages, it has been planned to rehabilitate the Nilwala river bank and to develop and conserve the banks by planting trees such as Mee and Kumbuk. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Sagala Ratnayake, the Minister of Youth Affairs, Project Management and Southern Development, to conserve the river basin of the Nilwala river from Pitabaddara to Kotapola with an investment of Rs.62 million for the purpose with the assistance also of the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources & Disaster Management, was approved by the Cabinet.