Govt. Launches Pipeline Irrigation Pilots to Combat Drought 💧🌾

• The Cabinet has approved four pilot pipeline irrigation projects in the North Western & Uva provinces to modernise agriculture and enhance climate resilience in drought-prone dry zones. • Objective: To replace traditional open irrigation channels with a pipeline distribution system to significantly reduce water wastage, improve crop yields, and minimise crop losses due to drought and intense rains. • Scope: The pilots will cover a total agricultural area of 877 hectares, testing three distinct pipeline irrigation models. • Funding Breakdown: • Total investment is US$ 4.98 Mn. • US$ 3.3 Mn grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR), channelled via ADB. • US$ 1.68 Mn contribution from the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). • The initiative also aims to encourage small landowners to cultivate higher-value food crops and increase female participation in the agricultural sector.