This is a story about a project undertaken by the level 4 students of Department of Civil Engineering in collaboration with Civil Engineering Society that led to the successful rehabilitation of a village tank. This is one of the final year Comprehensive Design Project carried out at Pahala Maradankadawala.

Pahala Maradankadawala is located in Giribawa Pradeshiya Sabha, in Kurunegala District. This was selected as Community-based Development Project – (Comprehensive Design Project) for the final year undergraduates in year 2007. This village had a tank where the spillway initially built by British Governors in 1931, was breached and collapsed due to extremely heavy rainfall in November 2003. As a result, the villagers encountered many problems in their paddy and other cultivation, day-to-day water requirements, loss of income. When coupled with other problems such as inadequate infrastructure and road network, the life in the village gradually become difficult.

Pahala Maradankadawala tank belongs to Kala Oya catchment area. It is operated under Department of Agrarian service as it is categorised in to minor irrigation scheme. Pahala Maradankadawala experiences heavy rainfall only during October to December, thus rest of the days in the calendar covered with harsh sun shine with dry and hot atmosphere. Pahala Maradankadawala tank, which functions in a cascade system when water spillage from upstream irrigation tank flows to downstream irrigation. This tank has a water spread area of more than 65 acres in fully supply water level. It has nearly 150 acres as command area. The breached length of the spillway was 24 m. The total length of the earthen dam was 950 m with a height of 4 m having about 2.4 m width at the top level.

Suppress of rural people and ignorance has often been an artefact of professional community's ineffectiveness. With few exceptions, professional community has not known how to help them to express, share and enhance their requirements and knowledge. Sitting on the chair behind the table, by believing that we know, they become ignorant. They consider that villagers are the problem and we are the solution; in this ways we have impeded expression of knowledge by rural people.

Therefore, by changing all above, putting theory in to practise, being professional who sense the gravity of the reality, Civil Engineering Society (CES) initiate a rehabilitation project of Pahala Maradankadawala village in collaboration with the final year undergraduates' comprehensive design project.

In the early stage of Rapid Rural Appraisal and Reconnaissance survey, requirements of the villagers were prioritised through pair wise comparison matrix. They were as follows:

Sharing first-hand experiences of the villagers and collecting initial data for the design project

Under Community based Comprehensive Design Project, identification and extensive investigation regarding this matter were carried out with feasibility studies. Full Investigation survey, which includes tank bund survey, tank bed survey, breach site survey, and natural spillway survey was followed by an operational study. Flood estimation, detailed design of the proposed Spillway and Project viability justifications were performed. Collected soil samples were tested in University laboratories.

Although fully detailed design was carried out, funding problems were risen during the project implementing process. However, after many efforts of undergraduates and sheer determination of villagers paved the way to obtain the consideration of Nation Building Ministry and now a major part of rebuilding spillway project is financially assisted.

With the huge support from villagers and “Govi Samuluwa” in collaboration with Nation Building Ministry, now rebuilding of collapsed spillway is underway

With the collapse of spillway due to extreme event in 2003, few sluice gates which were attached to Pahala Maradankadawala tank have been neglected. Therefore, Civil Engineering Society initiated a project to rehabilitate those sluice gates. This will facilitate farmers to use water in Pahala Maradankadawala tank in more control manner over longer period for their cultivations.

With the breached of spillway, water retaining ability of the Pahala Maradankadawala tank did not satisfy the drinking water requirement of a village of 65 families. Therefore, Civil Engineering Department of University of Moratuwa introduce the concept of Rain Water Harvesting Tanks to the villagers. Some fund available under IRQUE (Improving Relevance and Quality of Undergraduate Education) for Community Based Comprehensive Design Project have been used to produce rainwater harvesting tanks. These tanks have been completed with some additional funding from individuals as well. A total of eleven (11) rainwater harvesting tanks now ensure an adequate amount of drinking water even during drought season.

Due to the collapse of spillway, hydraulic systems fail during rainy season and several roads would get inundated for many days obstructing the day-to-day activities of the villagers. As a remedial action to this difficulty, Civil Engineering Society initiated the construction of culverts at two locations where villagers have experienced the maximum obstructions for travelling. For this, cement stabilized soil has been used to prevent erosion during the high flooded season. A cement and sand mix of 1:12 have been used to form the road on and arched the pipe culvert. The presence of cement will ensure continuous gain of strength in the soil and to form the wing walls of the pipe culvert.

During the construction process – Using RCC precast culverts and cement stabilised compacted earth approaches

Combination of the co-operate hands of the villagers and social responsibilities of CES

Inspecting the situation of one of the constructed culverts during an inspection visit on 07- Nov-2009

Inspecting the situation of another constructed culvert during an inspection visit on 07- Nov-2009