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Giant's Tank (Tamil: கட்டுக்கரை குளம், romanized: Kaṭṭukkarai Kuḷam; Sinhala: යෝධ වැව Yōdha Væva) is an irrigation tank in northern Sri Lanka, approximately 10 mi (16 km) south east of Mannar.
| Giant's Tank | |
|---|---|
  Giant's Tank Location within Northern Province | |
| Location | Northern Province |
| Coordinates | 08°52′32″N 80°02′00″E |
| Type | Artificial lake |
| River sources | Aruvi Aru |
| Catchment area | 38 sq mi (98 km2)[1] |
| Managing agency | Department of Irrigation, Government of Sri Lanka |
| Water volume | 31,500 acre⋅ft (38,854,678 m3)[2] |
| Surface elevation | 44 ft (13 m)[3] |
Some historians have speculated that Giant's Tank is the same as the Mahanama Matha Vapi tank built by King Dhatusena in the fifth century and restored by King Parakramabahu I in the twelfth century.[1][2] On the other hand, Mudaliyar C. Rajanayagam in his book Ancient Jaffna suggests that the tank was probably constructed by the Nagas.[4] Rajanayagam has suggested that the Megisba lake mentioned by Pliny in Description of Taprobane was in fact Giant's Tank.[5]
Consideration was given to renovating the tank during Dutch Governor Willem Jacob van de Graaf's administration in the eighteenth century but nothing happened.[1] Restoration did however begin in the 1880s following a motion in the Legislative Council by P. Ramanathan.[1] Delays by epidemics and other issues meant that restoration wasn't completed until November 1902.[1][6] A 90 ft (27 m) thick, 12 ft (4 m) high, 640 ft (195 m) long stone dam (known as tekkam in Tamil) was built across the Aruvi Aru 22 mi (35 km) from its mouth.[7][8] The waters were then diverted to Giant's Tank by a 12 mi (19 km) inlet channel (alawakkai).[1][8] The tank had a catchment area of 38 sq mi (98 km2).[1] The name Giant's Tank was the English translation of the local name for the tank - Sodayan Kattu Karai (giant built embankment).[1][7] The tank is now known as Kattukarai Kulam in Tamil.[9]
Responsibility for the tank passed from the Public Works Department to the Department of Irrigation in 1900.[10] By the late 1960s the tank's bund was 4.5 mi (7 km) long and 10 ft 4 in (3 m) high whilst the tank's storage capacity was 26,600 acre⋅ft (32,810,617 m3) and its water spread area was 4,550 acres (1,841 ha).[1] There was a 172 ft (52 m) channel flow spill on the right bank and seven sluices.[1] Water from the tank was transferred to numerous minor irrigation tanks via a 24 mi (39 km) main channel and 24 mi (39 km) of branch channels.[1]
The tank's storage capacity was 30,500 acre⋅ft (37,621,196 m3) in 2003 and it was capable of irrigating 24,000 acres (9,712 ha).[9] The tank's height was 11.5 ft (4 m) but it was capable of holding 10 ft (3 m) safely.[9] The tank's storage capacity was 31,500 acre⋅ft (38,854,678 m3) in 2009 and it was capable of irrigating 27,000 acres (10,927 ha).[2]
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