Senanayake Samudraya ( Sinhala: සේනානායක සමූද්‍රය,

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

: சேனானாயக்க சமூத்ரய) is the biggest reservoir and man-made lake in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. It is locally known as the sea ( Sinhala:සමූද්‍රය ''samudraya'',

:கடல்). Senanayake Samudraya was opened on 28 August 1949 under the Gal Oya Multipurpose Scheme, which was completed in 1953 by

D. S. Senanayake Don Stephen Senanayake ( si, දොන් ස්ටීවන් සේනානායක,; ta, டி. எஸ். சேனநாயக்கா; 21 October 1884 – 22 March 1952) was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime Mi ...

. Senanayake Samudraya was formed by

damming A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

the Gal Oya river and other smaller rivers in between a pair of mountains in Inginiyagala. Senanayake Samudraya is the largest and one of the most iconic reservoirs with an earthen dam built after receiving freedom from the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and was completed in

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...

. The reservoir is sometimes referred to as “ Inginiyagala Reservoir”. The Senanayaka Samudraya is part of the Gal Oya multipurpose irrigation system project which started in the year

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

and completed in

by the first prime minister of Sri Lanka,

Tourism

The Senanayake Samudraya is the largest body of water ever created in Sri Lanka. Cradled between Siyabalanduwa and

Ampara Ampara ( si, අම්පාර, ta, அம்பாறை) is the main town of Ampara District, governed by an Urban Council. It is located in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, about east of Colombo and approximately south of Batticaloa. Hi ...

, the reservoir is bordered by the rising mountains of Inginiyagala. There is a national park near Senanayake Samudraya, known as the

Gal Oya National Park Gal Oya National Park in Sri Lanka was established in 1954 and serves as the main catchment area for Senanayake Samudraya, the largest reservoir in Sri Lanka. Senanayake Samudraya was built under the Gal Oya development project by damming the Ga ...

, which is home to lots of wildlife, including more than 200 elephants, as well as bears and leopards. A development of the Gal Oya Project, the reservoir that irrigates the dry lands of the east of Sri Lanka, the lake attracts thousands of visitors annually. It is one of the major tourist attractions in

Reference

{{Reflist 1953 establishments in Ceylon Bodies of water of Ampara District Dams in Sri Lanka Reservoirs in Sri Lanka