Kantale Dam
| Kantale Dam | |
|---|---|
 Kantale Tank in May 2015 | |
  Location of Kantale Dam in Sri Lanka | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Location | Kantale |
| Coordinates | 08°21′40″N 80°59′29″E / 8.36111°N 80.99139°E |
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Owner(s) | Mahaweli Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Per Aru |
| Height (foundation) | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Length | 14,000 ft (4,267 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Kantale Reservoir |
The Kantale Dam (
Reservoir history
The tank was built by King Aggabodhi II (604-614 AD) and further developed by King Parakramabahu the Great.[2] It was also known as Gangathala Vapi at the time. The reservoir has a catchment area of 216 km2 (83 sq mi) and a capacity of 135 million cubic metres (4.8×109 cu ft).[3]
1986 Dam failure
On 20 April 1986 at 03:00 AM, the dam breached, sending a wall of water over the villages downstream. The floods killed approximately 120–180 people, destroyed over 1,600 houses and 2,000 acres (810 ha) of paddy, affecting over 8,000 families.[1] One of the main causes of the breach was said to be due to extra-heavy vehicles being driven over the dam.[4][5]
References
- ^ Sunday Times. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
- ^ "Kantale Wewa". Lankapradeepa. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Great Engineering feats II: Vast reservoirs built by the Kings". Sunday Observer. 29 March 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ^ Anura Maitipe (31 December 2003). "Kantale dam in danger". Daily News. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
- ^ Namini Wijedasa (7 August 2005). "Urgent call for dam safety". Sunday Island. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
External links
- Rehabilitation of Kantale Dam on YouTube
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