Vavuni Kulam

This article is about the irrigation tank. For the village, see Vavunikulam.

Vavuni Kulam
வவுனி குளம் (Tamil)
Vavuni Kulam Location within Northern Province Vavuni Kulam Vavuni Kulam (Sri Lanka)
Location	Northern Province
Coordinates	09°05′19″N 80°20′54″E
Type	Artificial lake
River sources	Pali Aru
Catchment area	88 sq mi (228 km2)
Managing agency	Department of Irrigation, Northern Provincial Council
Water volume	35,300 acre⋅ft (43,541,909 m3)

Vavuni Kulam (Tamil: வவுனி குளம் Vavuṉi Kuḷam) is an irrigation tank in northern Sri Lanka, approximately 2 mi (3 km) south east of Mallavi.

History

The tank on Pali Aru was earlier knowns as Peli Vapi. Restoration of the tank, which had a catchment area of 88 sq mi (228 km²), commenced in 1954 with the support of the Australian government.

By the late 1960s the tank's bund was 2 mi (3 km) long and 24 ft (7 m) high whilst the tank's storage capacity was 35,300 acre⋅ft (43,541,909 m³) and its water spread area was 3,150 acres (1,275 ha). There was a 500 ft (152 m) spill on the left bank and two spills on the right bank - 1,200 ft (366 m) and 700 ft (213 m). The left and right bank sluices were each 4 ft by 3 ft 6 in whilst the central sluice had a diameter of 18 in. By 2014 the tank was capable of irrigating 6,900 acres (2,792 ha).