Kantale Dam
| Kantale Dam | |
|---|---|
 Location of Kantale Dam in Sri Lanka
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| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Location | Kantale |
| Coordinates | 08°21′40″N 80°59′29″E / 8.36111°N 80.99139°ECoordinates: 08°21′40″N 80°59′29″E / 8.36111°N 80.99139°E |
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Owner(s) | Mahaweli Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Per Aru |
| Height (foundation) | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Length | 14,000 ft (4,267 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Kantale Reservoir |
The Kantale Dam is a large embankment dam built in Kantale, Sri Lanka, used for irrigation. It is 14,000 ft (4,267 m) in long, and 50 ft (15 m). The dam breached on April 20, 1986, killing more than 120 people. It has since been reconstructed. The dam impounds the Per Aru, a small river discharging into the Koddiyar Bay, at Trincomalee Harbour.
According to Mahavamsa, the tank was built by king Aggabodhi II of Anuradhapura and further developed by King Parakramabahu the Great. It was also known as Gangathala Vapi at the time. The reservoir has a catchment area of 216 km2 (83 sq mi) and a capacity of 135 million cubic metres (4.8×109 cu ft).
On April 20, 1986 at 03:00AM, the dam breached, sending a wall of water over the villages downstream. The floods killed approximately 120-180 people, destroyed over 1,600 houses and 2,000 acres of paddy, affecting over 8,000 families. One of the main causes of the breach was said to be due to extra-heavy vehicles being driven over the dam.
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Wikipedia