A ceremony marking the completion of the main part of the Kaluganga Head Works Reservoir (K Dam) built by POWERCHINA took place on Jan 8, 2019 local time, with Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena in attendance.
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Sri Lanka's president, Maithripala Sirisena, raises the curtain on the completion monument. [Photo/POWERCHINA] |
President Sirisena raised the curtain on the completion monument, signifying the completion of the K Dam after 53 months of preparation and construction. The president also listened to the project progress report and expressed his gratitude to POWERCHINA employees for their hard work.
The ceremony attracted a lot of attention from local media, which made multiple reports on the event. The dam also received support from the Sri Lankan government, the project owner, and the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka throughout its construction.
The K Dam began construction on April 2, 2014 It will divert water to the Moragahakanda Reservoir head works project (M Dam) to strengthen the latter's power generating capacity while also improving irrigation in the center of Sri Lanka and providing water for industrial development in the eastern region of the country.
Moreover, the dam, as a key livelihood project in Sri Lanka, has brought many job opportunities to locals and helped Sri Lanka train a group of skilled professionals, supporting the country's economic and social development.
During construction, POWERCHINA cooperated with local governments to resettle villagers living near the project site and improve their living conditions, which was well-received by locals. In addition, POWERCHINA employed many local workers and introduced them to various types of production technology in accordance with the Belt and Road Initiative.
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The K Dam. [Photo/POWERCHINA] |
On the same day as the ceremony, the president also inaugurated a new town - a result of the K dam's resettlement project funded by POWERCHINA. The president planted a tree in the town to pray for long-term friendship between China and Sri Lanka.
