Boat and Leisure Services at Major Sri Lankan Reservoirs Attract 30 Proposals

01st December 2010, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Thirty parties have responded to a call for proposals to operate boat and leisure services at major reservoirs in Sri Lanka, irrigation minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said. An official said all the proposals appeared to be from local parties.

The government asked for proposals from private parties to operate boat services and restaurants at irrigation works connected to Sri Lanka's Mahaweli river development project.

The operators would be subjected to 30 conditions including environmental regulations and boats have to be powered by engines smaller than 15 horsepower.

Proposals were called to operate boat services and restaurants at newly built Kotmale, Polgolla, Victoria, Randenigala, Ulhitiya, Maduru Oya, Bowatenne and the Udawalawe reservoirs.

In addition Kandalama, Kala, Chandrika, and Iranmadu reservoirs which are so-called 'tanks' dating back from Sri Lanka's ancient irrigation related settlements were also opened for leisure activities.

Kandalama already has an up-market hotel operated by Sri Lanka's Aitken Spence group.

Several of reservoirs which are also used for power generation are located in picturesque hilly areas and were under tight security, with restricted public access, during a 30-year separatist war which ended last May.

The Iranamadu tank shot fame in the last stages of the war as being the place where expat Tamil Tiger separatists landed by seaplane after arriving from the Maldives.

Once the proposals are accepted the government was planning to kick off the services in January starting with the Victoria and Polgolla reservoirs in the Kandy district, an official said.