Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Friday inaugurated the construction of the 28 km-long, claimed as  South Asia’s longest Irrigation tunnel, at Palugaswewa, Anuradhapura.

The tunnel will be constructed as the first phase of the North Central Provincial Maha-Ela Project in line with the 'Irrigation Prosperity' program to rehabilitate 5,000 tanks.

The inauguration ceremony of the irrigation tunnel construction was held at Mahamigaswewa, Anuradhapura. At the auspicious moment this morning, the President unveiled the plaque in the midst of the Seth Pirith chanting by the Maha Sangha and cut the inaugural sod.

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