In a bold but contentious move, the Sri Lankan Government has approved the implementation of four pilot pipeline irrigation projects across the North Western and Uva Provinces, with the aim of reducing water wastage and improving crop yields in drought-hit regions.
While the initiative is touted as a technological leap in modernising the island’s agriculture, questions loom large over its feasibility, policy consistency, and administrative readiness.
The plan seeks to introduce a closed pipeline system to replace the traditional open irrigation channels long used by farmers.
These earthen canals, though simple and inexpensive, have been plagued by water seepage, siltation, and destruction from erratic monsoonal rains.
Officials argue that the new system, by transporting water through underground pipelines, will ensure better efficiency and equitable distribution among farmers, particularly benefiting smallholders struggling under prolonged drought conditions.
According to Cabinet-approved proposals, four pilot projects covering 877 hectares of farmland will test three distinct pipeline irrigation models tailored for Sri Lanka’s dry zone.
The initiative is expected to serve as a proof of concept for a nationwide rollout if proven successful.
In addition to improving water use efficiency, the government claims the project will encourage the cultivation of high-value crops and boost female participation in agriculture.
Funding for the pilot phase includes a $3.3 million grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR), channeled through the Asian Development Bank (ADB), supplemented by $1.68 million from the Sri Lankan Government.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation has presented the project as a “transformative solution” to Sri Lanka’s long-standing irrigation inefficiencies.
However, analysts and agricultural experts have voiced skepticism over the viability of the initiative.
They point out that Sri Lanka’s track record in executing large-scale irrigation and water management projects has been marred by bureaucratic delays, cost overruns, and inconsistent policy direction.
Several irrigation schemes launched over the past decade including canal rehabilitation and tank restoration programs have struggled to meet deadlines or produce measurable improvements due to weak coordination between central and provincial agencies.
Experts also warn that the introduction of high-tech pipeline systems demands robust maintenance, skilled technical staff, and sustained funding all of which remain uncertain in the current fiscal climate.
“Without institutional discipline and clear accountability, these projects risk becoming another set of pilot experiments that never reach scale,” said a retired senior engineer from the Irrigation Department.
With farmers increasingly disillusioned by unfulfilled promises and delayed project outcomes, the pipeline irrigation scheme could either herald a new era of agricultural modernization or serve as another reminder of Sri Lanka’s widening gap between policy ambition and ground reality.
Whether this experiment becomes a model for resilience or another casualty of bureaucratic inertia will depend on the government’s ability to deliver not just design effective solution
