Matale Haththota Amuna | AmazingLanka.com

The Ancient Section of Haththota Amuna
photo by Badra Kamaladasa

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Located near Pallegama across the Kalu Ganga, the ancient 97-meter-long Haththota Amuna weir was built during King Aggabodhi II’s reign to feed the Minneriya and Giritale reservoirs. Restored by King Parakramabahu I, the historical structure now stands largely abandoned without continuous river flow.

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Haththota Amuna (Hattota Amuna) is an ancient weir (anicut) constructed across the Kalu Ganga, a tributary of the Amban Ganga, near Pallegama. The structure includes a 46-kilometre-long feeder channel and is believed to have been built during the reign of King Aggabodhi II (608–618 CE). According to ancient chronicles, it was subsequently repaired and rehabilitated by King Parakramabahu I (1153–1186 CE). King Aggabodhi constructed this weir to improve the water supply to the Minneriya Reservoir and Giritale Reservoir, diverting water through a canal approximately 45 kilometres long towards Elahera.

According to Arumugam (1969), the Haththota Amuna may not be the same structure that was restored between 1952 and 1957. At present, it appears to be largely abandoned, and there is no continuous river flow over the 97-metre-long weir.

Ancient Hydraulic Engineering in Sri Lanka

The hydraulic civilisation of ancient Sri Lanka was closely associated with the development of early human settlements in the Dry Zone. Two principal types of ancient irrigation systems were prominent. One common practice involved partially diverting major rivers to transfer water between river basins or to supply lateral storage reservoirs used for irrigation.

Another notable example is the partial diversion of the Mahaweli River at Minipe, where the Manimekkala Dam was constructed across the river to channel water through the approximately 22-kilometre-long Minipe Yoda Ela during the reign of King Aggabodhi I (575–608 CE). This canal was subsequently extended to 78 kilometres during the reign of King Sena II (853–887 CE). In 1947, the height of the 224-metre-long anicut was raised to 4.2 metres. This indicates that the ancient weir constructed by the early kings had maintained a sufficient flow of water.

Elahera Anicut (Amuna)

The Elahera Anicut (Gal Amuna), an ancient hydraulic engineering structure, has been associated with several Sri Lankan kings, including King Vasabha (65–109 CE), King Aggabodhi II (608–618 CE), and King Parakramabahu I (1153–1186 CE) (Arumugam, 1969).

The system consists of two weirs: a major structure measuring 115 metres across the Amban Ganga and a smaller 29-metre-long weir across the Kuda Ganga. These structures were designed to divert water from the Amban Ganga for irrigation development and to augment the water supply to the Minneriya and Giritale reservoirs through the Elahera–Minneriya Yoda Ela. This canal bifurcates at Diyabeduma, approximately 34 kilometres from its starting point.

Historical records indicate that the system was restored in 1887 and again in 1945, with several modifications, including changes to the height of the weir. At present, floodwater spills over the main weir across the Amban Ganga. The weir and its associated conveyance canal, originally known as Akasa Ganga and now called the Angamedilla–Yoda Ela, formed part of a water diversion scheme that channelled water from the Amban Ganga to supply the Parakrama Samudraya, constructed during the reign of King Parakramabahu I (1153–1186 CE). This system was restored between 1948 and 1952, when the height of the 27.4-metre-long weir was raised, thereby arresting the continuous flow of water over it.

Uggal Kaltota Diversion Weir

The Uggal Kaltota diversion weir on the Walawe River is another example of an ancient river diversion structure. It is believed to have been constructed during the reign of King Gajabahu (113–135 CE). In 1892, the right-bank canal was restored, and in 1956, an independent weir measuring 71 metres in length and 1 metre in height was constructed upstream to provide water for new irrigation development on the left bank. Owing to the relatively low height of this weir, water continues to spill over it.

References

Arumugam, S. (1969). Water resources of Ceylon: its utilisation and development. Water Resources Board (Sri Lanka).
Silva, E.I.L. et al. (2014) “Environmental flow in Sri Lanka: ancient anicuts versus modern dams,” Sri Lanka Journal of Aquatic Sciences, 19, pp. 3–14.