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Current land use issues in the Galoya Project require solutions through an integrated approach.
The current land use problems of the Galoya development project need
to be solved through an integrated approach.
Ampara District, which belongs to the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, is an area of 441,500 hectares with 20 Divisional Secretariats. Around 40 villages have been established with the Galoya Multipurpose Development Movement as the first development project started after 1948. Along the left channel and right channel of the Galoya Development scheme, Senanayake Samudraya provides water for agricultural lands and in associated highland areas, villages have been established for settlements. The development scheme has been planned by providing houses and other facilities for settling the colonists. Also, the sugar factory where about 2000 tons of sugarcane is milled per day has been established in Dighavapiya area of Chawalakadei. Asia's largest rice mill, established in Chawalakadei is currently not functioning.
The land use pattern has undergone changes with the growth of population, development of human needs and urbanization. Several problems can be identified with these changes. Accordingly, problems such as land fragmentation, conversion of valuable agricultural land into settlements, encroaching of protected land, unauthorized land excavation, wild elephants attacking villages, and creation of complex land use patterns have emerged. Agricultural lands and settlements are properly planned with the initiation of the Galoya Development scheme, but at present the agricultural lands have been used for settlements. The provision of infrastructure such as electricity and water to settlements associated in agricultural land has further intensified this problem. This situation has affected the reduction of agricultural land in the future, especially paddy land.
The need has arisen to create an institutionally integrated approach to manage the challenges arising in land use planning in Ampara district.