Yoda Wewa at Mannar
Yoda Wewa in Mannar is one of the biggest tanks on the island of Sri Lanka. It was built by King Dhatusena between 459-477 by damming and redirecting water from the Malwatu Oya River. The tank was previously known as Manawatu Wewa, and an 8-mile ancient canal, recently restored, carries water from the Malwatu Oya River to fill it.
In the 19th century, British irrigation engineers discovered Yoda Wewa, but they failed to comprehend its design. They considered the tank, which was in ruins at the time, to be a great failure. However, recent restoration work has revealed that the ancient engineer's levelling techniques were superior to modern ones. The tank's embankment is over 7 km long and 14 feet tall, making it a low-height reservoir compared to other reservoirs of its size. Nevertheless, the ancient irrigation engineers considered the flat land in the area and increased the volume of the tank by expanding the area of water spread, rather than increasing the depth of the tank. Today...
In the 19th century, British irrigation engineers discovered Yoda Wewa, but they failed to comprehend its design. They considered the tank, which was in ruins at the time, to be a great failure. However, recent restoration work has revealed that the ancient engineer's levelling techniques were superior to modern ones. The tank's embankment is over 7 km long and 14 feet tall, making it a low-height reservoir compared to other reservoirs of its size. Nevertheless, the ancient irrigation engineers considered the flat land in the area and increased the volume of the tank by expanding the area of water spread, rather than increasing the depth of the tank. Today...
