Sri Lanka, Aug. 2 -- Asian Development Bank has agreed with OPEC to provide basic facilities to continue the construction works of the second phase of the Mahaweli Water Security Irrigation Programme (MWSIP) partly completed.

The MWSIP is a massive irrigation development initiative targeted at completing the final stages of Mahaweli master plan launched in 1960s.

The primary objective of the MWSIP was to divert the surplus water from Mahaweli River basin consisting of a vast catchment area of 10,256 square km to water scarce regions in North Central Province and North Western Province.

The three main components of the MWSIP are North Central provincial canal project, North Western Provincial canal project and Minipe left-bank canal Reh...