Giant's Tank

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Coordinates: 08°52′32″N 80°02′00″E / 8.87556°N 80.03333°E / 8.87556; 80.03333
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Giant's Tank
  • கட்டுக்கரை குளம் (Tamil)
  • යෝධ වැව (Sinhala)
Giant's Tank is located in Northern Province
Giant's Tank
Giant's Tank
Location within Northern Province
LocationNorthern Province
Coordinates08°52′32″N 80°02′00″E / 8.87556°N 80.03333°E / 8.87556; 80.03333
TypeArtificial lake
River sourcesAruvi Aru
Catchment area38 sq mi (98 km2)[1]
Managing agencyDepartment of Irrigation,
Government of Sri Lanka
Water volume31,500 acre⋅ft (38,854,678 m3)[2]
Surface elevation44 ft (13 m)[3]

Giant's Tank (Tamil: கட்டுக்கரை குளம், romanized: Kaṭṭukkarai Kuḷam; Sinhala: යෝධ වැව Yōdha Væva) is an irrigation tank in northern Sri Lanka, approximately 10 mi (16 km) south east of Mannar.

History[edit]

Some historians have speculated that Giant's Tank is the same as the Mahanama Matha Vapi tank built by King Dhatusena in the fifth century and restored by King Parakramabahu I in the twelfth century.[1][2] On the other hand, Mudaliyar C. Rajanayagam in his book Ancient Jaffna suggests that the tank was probably constructed by the Nagas.[4] Rajanayagam has suggested that the Megisba lake mentioned by Pliny in Description of Taprobane was in fact Giant's Tank.[5]

Consideration was given to renovating the tank during Dutch Governor Willem Jacob van de Graaf's administration in the eighteenth century but nothing happened.[1] Restoration did however begin in the 1880s following a motion in the Legislative Council by P. Ramanathan.[1] Delays by epidemics and other issues meant that restoration wasn't completed until November 1902.[1][6] A 90 ft (27 m) thick, 12 ft (4 m) high, 640 ft (195 m) long stone dam (known as tekkam in Tamil) was built across the Aruvi Aru 22 mi (35 km) from its mouth.[7][8] The waters were then diverted to Giant's Tank by a 12 mi (19 km) inlet channel (alawakkai).[1][8] The tank had a catchment area of 38 sq mi (98 km2).[1] The name Giant's Tank was the English translation of the local name for the tank - Sodayan Kattu Karai (giant built embankment).[1][7] The tank is now known as Kattukarai Kulam in Tamil.[9]

Responsibility for the tank passed from the Public Works Department to the Department of Irrigation in 1900.[10] By the late 1960s the tank's bund was 4.5 mi (7 km) long and 10 ft 4 in (3 m) high whilst the tank's storage capacity was 26,600 acre⋅ft (32,810,617 m3) and its water spread area was 4,550 acres (1,841 ha).[1] There was a 172 ft (52 m) channel flow spill on the right bank and seven sluices.[1] Water from the tank was transferred to numerous minor irrigation tanks via a 24 mi (39 km) main channel and 24 mi (39 km) of branch channels.[1]

The tank's storage capacity was 30,500 acre⋅ft (37,621,196 m3) in 2003 and it was capable of irrigating 24,000 acres (9,712 ha).[9] The tank's height was 11.5 ft (4 m) but it was capable of holding 10 ft (3 m) safely.[9] The tank's storage capacity was 31,500 acre⋅ft (38,854,678 m3) in 2009 and it was capable of irrigating 27,000 acres (10,927 ha).[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Arumugam, S. (1969). Water Resources of Ceylon (PDF). Water Resources Board. p. 333.
  2. ^ a b c Wijesiri, Lionel (20 October 2009). "The giant wakes up Revival of Yoda Wewa". Daily News (Sri Lanka).
  3. ^ de Alwis, S. M. D. L. K. (9 November 2006). "Competition for Water Demands, Management conflicts and Inter-related Issues in Malwathu Oya Basin of Sri Lanka" (PDF). Network of Asian River Basin Organizations.
  4. ^ Rasanayagam, C. (1984). Ancient Jaffna (PDF). Asian Educational Services. pp. 82–83.
  5. ^ Rasanayagam, C. (1984). Ancient Jaffna (PDF). Asian Educational Services. p. 106.
  6. ^ Lucas, C. P. Historical Geography of the British Colonies - Volume I The Mediterranean and Eastern Colonies. Clarendon Press. p. 109.
  7. ^ a b Parker, Henry (1999). Ancient Ceylon. Asian Educational Services. pp. 247–248. ISBN 9788120602083.
  8. ^ a b Arumugam, S. (1969). Water Resources of Ceylon (PDF). Water Resources Board. p. 331.
  9. ^ a b c "Repairs to Giant's Tank after two decades' neglect". TamilNet. 1 May 2003.
  10. ^ "History". Department of Irrigation, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2016-10-21. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
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