Tissa Wewa
The Tissa Wewa tank is one of the four notable ancient reservoirs in the region and is thought to have been constructed during the 3rd Century BC by either King Yatala Tissa or regional ruler Maha Naga, who was the brother of King Devanampiyatissa (250-210 BC).
The tank builder took into account the area's low rainfall and small catchment area, constructing the embankment accordingly. The water level was maintained at around 13 feet depth, leaving only 5 feet between the water level and the top of the bank. The embankment is approximately 1.2 km long, with a single flood escape section (pita wana) on the eastern side that runs about 100 meters in length. From here, water flows downstream to Yodha Wewa. The tank covers a surface area of 652 acres, resulting in a capacity of 160 million cubic feet. According to a report from 1858 by Mr. G.D. B. Harrison, the bund was constructed from large roughly-hewn blocks of stone, with few weighing less than a ton.
During the restoration work...
The tank builder took into account the area's low rainfall and small catchment area, constructing the embankment accordingly. The water level was maintained at around 13 feet depth, leaving only 5 feet between the water level and the top of the bank. The embankment is approximately 1.2 km long, with a single flood escape section (pita wana) on the eastern side that runs about 100 meters in length. From here, water flows downstream to Yodha Wewa. The tank covers a surface area of 652 acres, resulting in a capacity of 160 million cubic feet. According to a report from 1858 by Mr. G.D. B. Harrison, the bund was constructed from large roughly-hewn blocks of stone, with few weighing less than a ton.
During the restoration work...
