Land issues of the second generation of the Mahaweli (H) system in Sri Lanka.

Abstract

The main objective of this research is to investigate the land issues in the Mahaweli agricultural settlements and to identify the causes of the land problem in the area. Mahaweli Multipurpose development program is the most comprehensive physical and human resource development program in Sri Lanka to date. But Mahaweli systems are densely populated as the natural growth of population and low outmigrations. In 1977, the total number of families settled in the Mahaweli H zone was 2393 and by 2012 it had increased to 28,211 families. Consequently, the lands of Mahaweli systems are noticeably stressed and the settlers of the second-generation in the Mahaweli systems are confronted with various forms of land problems and it has become a serious issue in Mahaweli development areas. The study was done under the mixed method political ecological approach of Geography. The 472 Galnawagama Division in the Mahaweli H system was selected as the study area which was the first to launch the pioneer settlement pattern under the Mahaweli settlement. Data were collected from the selected 40 families based on convenience sampling from the Galnawagama Grama Niladari Division. The questionnaires and interview methods were applied to collect the primary quantitative and qualitative data while other data gained from secondary data sources such as Mahaweli Development Authority, Ministry of Land Development, Mahaweli Divisional Management office and Divisional Secretariat Office in Galnewa. SPSS, MS Excel and GIS techniques were used to analyze the data maps, charts and tables were used to present the data. Numerical and descriptive analysis were used in the data analysis. The study reveals that the second-generation colonists in the Mahaweli system H are subject to state land conditions, Limited Land use difficulties to growing families, fragmentation of land, land ownership and unauthorized occupation are the dominant factors. It has been concluded that the problem which is already in the second generation will lead to a lower quality of life for the colonists and a direct impact on the third generation.