Polonnaruwa King
Parakrama
Parakrama Samudra
Parakrama Samudra, the Sea of King Parakrama as the
name literally means, is a shallow reservoir with a surface area of 22.6 km2. It
consists of three separate reservoirs connected only by narrow channels at low
water. The northernmost reservoir is the oldest and referred to as Topa wewa
(Sinhalese wewa=lake or reservoir). The middle section is Eramudu wewa and the
southernmost portion at the highest elevation is Dumbutula wewa. Topa wewa was
built around A.D. 386. The other sections were added and the reservoir expanded
during the reign of King Parakrama Bahu the Great (A.D. 1153-1183).
Lake Parakrama forms one of the
larger reservoirs of an ancient, intricate and sophisticated water storage
system for the irrigation of rice fields in Sri Lanka. During the twelfth
century A. D. it was situated in the capital of Sri Lanka and in a densely
populated area, judging from the extensive ruins of a magnificent civilization.
Later the area was abandoned, the city reverted to jungle, and the lake was
drained due to damage to the dam. The reservoir was restored to its present
status about thirty years ago, and the surrounding area has attracted
increasing numbers of immigrants, mainly rice cultivators and more recently
fishermen.
Lake Parakrama has a catchment of
about 75 km2. This consists mainly of a
forest reserve which is limited by high ground in the west. The reservoir is
supplied by water from rainfall in its catchment carried by small streams and
also by a channel running north from a small river. Water from the river
traverses a distance of about 8 km before reaching the lake. Considerable
amounts of silt are deposited in the channel and do not reach the reservoir.
The stored water is supplied mainly for the irrigation of rice fields. There
has been encroachment on the forest reserve by fishermen in the last twenty
years.
Human use of water for domestic
purposes has grown with settlement of a large number of immigrants in the
vicinity of the lake. The lake receives a considerable load of faecal pollution
from the human population in the vicinity. During the low water season when
large areas of the lake bed are exposed, cattle graze on the lush growth of
grass and leave considerable quantities of faeces behind, enriching the lake
(1).
Travel Guide
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