Kayaking has opened to visitors on the Elahera Yoda Ela in Polonnaruwa, a new tourism venture on one of the district’s historic irrigation canals.
The scheme has been launched as a pilot project through a joint effort by the Elahera Divisional Secretariat, the Elahera Pradeshiya Sabha and tourism promotion agencies, NewsFirst reported. It covers the stretch of canal running from Bakamuna to Kottapitiya.
Alongside drawing visitors, the project is expected to support rural economic development by creating direct and indirect employment for people living along the route.
Elahera Pradeshiya Sabha Vice Chairman M.L.M. Dodangoda said the canal offers a suitable environment to operate kayak services safely as far as the water distribution point.
An old canal put to new use
The Elahera Yoda Ela is part of an ancient irrigation network in the North Central Province, drawing from the Amban Ganga to feed paddy land across the Polonnaruwa plain. The Elahera anicut that heads the system was the subject of restoration work under the Wari Mahima programme.
Its calm water and the surrounding landscape are what the organisers are selling — an outdoor experience in an area better known to travellers for the Polonnaruwa ruins than for water sports.
NewsFirst did not report pricing, operating hours, capacity or what safety arrangements are in place, and no date was given for a decision on whether the pilot becomes permanent.
The venture is a small addition to a tourism sector under pressure to spread visitors beyond a handful of crowded destinations. Arrivals slipped 8% in early August against the same period last year.
A note on spelling: NewsFirst renders the canal as both “Elahera” and “Elahara” within the same report. This article uses “Elahera” throughout, consistent with the form used for the anicut.
