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Kalmadu is an earthen dam across the Nethali Aru basin, located 18 km East of Kilinochchi belongs to Kandawalai DS division. Its water storage capacity is 11.7 mcm impounded by a 1.575km long earth embankment with a maximum height of 8m. Enormity of the dam can be explained by its command area which is in Kilinochchi District whereas the 68km2 of catchments area belongs to Mulathivu District.
This tank bund was exploded by the LTTE at the last stage of terrorism destroying the livelihood of 4,650 farmer families in the Kandawalai DS Division in Kilinochchi. Government of Sri Lanka started the resettlement of Kalmadu in mid April 2010. As Kalmadu facilitated the livelihood of the families resettled, it was prioritized by the Ministry of Economic Development to restore the Kalmadu Dam.
Farmers from the Kalmadu were unable to cultivate for 8 consecutive seasons due to the unavailability of water and they will be directly benefited through this intervention. 4,641 families having 18,335 people will be directly benefited and 1000 families will be benefited by agricultural laborers, machine operators, traders and business, millers and transporters after the intervention. There are about 20 minor tanks fed under the Kalmadu tank and they not only provide irrigation water but also recharge the groundwater aquifer enabling abstraction of water for drinking, domestic uses and irrigation as well as for various industries and cattle. As a result of these 2 hospitals, 9 schools, 20 Kovils and a Church will also benefit with water supply.
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