Mahaweli River

Mahaweli River
Mahaweli River flowing through Gampola
Native name මහවැලි ගඟ (Mahaweli Ganga)
மகாவலி ஆறு (Mahawali Gangai)
Country Sri Lanka
Physical characteristics
Main source Horton Plains National Park[1]
River mouth Bay of Bengal
Trincomalee Bay
08°27′34″N 81°13′46″E / 8.45944°N 81.22944°E / 8.45944; 81.22944Coordinates: 08°27′34″N 81°13′46″E / 8.45944°N 81.22944°E / 8.45944; 81.22944
Length 335 km (208 mi)
Basin features
Tributaries

The Mahaweli River (Sinhalese: මහවැලි ගඟ, literally "Great Sandy River"; Tamil: மகாவலி ஆறு [mahawali gangai]),[2] is a 335 km (208 mi) long river, ranking as the longest river in Sri Lanka. Its drainage basin is the largest in the country, and covers almost one-fifth of the total area of the island. The real creation of Mahaweli ganga starts at Polwathura(at Mahawila area), a remote village of Nuwara-Eliya District in bank Nawalapitiya of Kandy District by further joining of Hatton oya and Kotmale oya.The river reaches the Bay of Bengal on the southwestern side of Trincomalee Bay. The bay includes the first of a number submarine canyons, making Trincomalee one of the finest deep-sea harbors in the world.[3]

As part of Mahaweli Development programme the river and its tributaries are dammed at several locations to allow irrigation in the dry zone, with almost 1,000 km2 (386 sq mi) of land irrigated.[4] Production of hydroelectricity from six dams of the Mahaweli system supplies more than 40% of Sri Lanka's electricity needs. One of the many sources of the river is the Kotmale Oya.[5]

There is a misconception in Sri Lanka that the Mahaweli starts in the Sri Pada mountain. The Mahaweli gets its source waters from Hortain Plains in Kirigalpoththa and the Thotupola mountain range.

Tributaries

  • Kotmale Oya
  • Hatton Oya
  • Hulu Ganga
  • Loggal Oya
  • Uma Oya
  • Badulu Oya
  • Amban Ganga

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Horton Plains National Park". International Water Management Institute. Archived from the original on August 5, 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
  2. ↑ Room, Adrian (2001-05-01). Placenames of the World. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0-7864-1814-1.
  3. ↑ Stoddart, David (1996-12-26). Process and Form in Geomorphology. Routledge (UK). ISBN 0-415-10527-7.
  4. ↑ Barry, D. (2001-06-07). Knowledge of the Land. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-829601-0.
  5. ↑ Mahaweli Ganga


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