The CSIAP conducts the third GIS-based MIS Training for its staff in NWP and NCP

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) conducts the third two-day residential training programme on the GIS-based Management Information System (MIS) for its staff in North Western and North Central Provinces today (12th) at the Creston Park Hotel in Anuradhapura. Mr. S.M. Seelarathna, Deputy Project Director (Northern Central Province), CSIAP welcomed all the participants and pointed out the importance of using MIS for the CSIAP.  Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP addressed participants and highlighted that  MIS, which stores and organizes data, enables CSIAP Staff to generate reports and analyze data to address CSIAP’s needs and present information while having top-level meetings including the World Bank.  

The MIS, which is a software system that focuses on the management of information technology to provide efficient and effective strategic decision-making, helps the CSIAP to coordinate, visualize, analyze information and make decisions through its activities. The above MIS is a combination of its multiple sub-components to provide the relevant information to take out useful information. An integrated system, which blends information from selected operational areas, is a necessary characteristic of MIS.

Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd invented the GI-based MIS for the CSIAP.  Mr. Dinesh Denipitiya, Senior Business Manager (Operations), Chamath Ekanayake, Tech Lead, Mr. Pavithra Prabodya, Senior Software Engineer and Pramodya Amarajeewa, Software Engineer of Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd explained the new system and provided the CSIAP staff with hands-on experience.  Mr. W.M.S. Wijesinghe, Deputy Project Director (North Western Province), Subject Specialists of the Project Management Unit of the CSIAP also participated. The Deputy Project Director (North Western Province) of the  CSIAP organized this training programme and Mr. Nalaka Attanayake, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the CSIAP coordinated it.

The CSIAP continues another GIS-based MIS Training for its staff in NP and EP

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) continued the second two-day residential training programme on the GIS-based Management Information System (MIS) for its staff of in Northern and Eastern Provinces today (10th) at the auditorium of the Department of Agrarian Development Kilinochchi. Mr. George Babu, Deputy Project Director (Northern Province), CSIAP welcomed all the participants. The MIS is a computerized database that helps the CSIAP to make decisions, coordinate, visualize and analyze information through its activities. Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd invented the GI-based MIS for the CSIAP.  Mr. Dinesh Denipitiya, Senior Business Manager (Operations), Chamath Ekanayake, Tech Lead, Mr. Pavithra Prabodya, Senior Software Engineer and Pramodya Amarajeewa, Software Engineerof Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd explained the new system and provided the CSIAP staff with hands-on experience. Ms. Sharmila Shanmuganathan, Gender Development Officer of the CSIAP contributed by interpreting Sinhalese and English lectures into Tamil.   

The same programme will be continued for the CSIAP staff in North Western and North Central Provinces. Dr. R. M. Ariyadasa, Deputy Project Director (Eastern Province), Subject Specialists of the Project Management Unit of the CSIAP also participated. The Deputy Project Director (Northern Province) of the  CSIAP organized this training programme and Mr. Nalaka Attanayake, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the CSIAP coordinated it.

The CSIAP begins the first working day of 2023

 The first working day of the New Year- 2023 was inaugurated in the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) on Monday (02^nd) under the patronage of Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director , CSIAP. Firstly, Eng. Rajakaruna lit the traditional oil lamp and subsequently, Institutional Development and Capacity Building Specialist Mr. D.V. Bandulasena, Financial Management Specialist Mr. W. G. N. Abeywickrama, Members of supporting staff Miss. Gayani Dassanayake and Mr. D.G.S. Liyanage also lit the traditional oil lamp.

Addressed the gathering,  the Project Director of the CSIAP at the outset expressed his best wishes for a happy New Year 2023 to the CSIAP Staff and their family members. He also expressed his gratitude to the staff of PMU and Provincial Deputy Directors’ Offices for carrying out their duties to the best of their ability to achieve the objectives of the project.  Eng. Rajakaruna further mentioned that the CSIAP is expecting to speed up its activities in 2023 in the project areas. Adding more, he highlighted remarkable success can be achieved by working as a team. Traditional food items were served to the staff and Subject Specialists and Officers attended this event. 

Photographs by Gayani Dassanayake, PMU-CSIAP

The CSIAP Launches GIS-Based MIS Training for Southern and Uva Province Staff

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) commenced a two-day residential training programme on its newly introduced GIS-based Management Information System (MIS) today (21st) at the Jade Green Hotel in Hambantota. The programme targets the CSIAP staff from the Southern and Uva Provinces to enhance data-driven planning, coordination, and monitoring of project activities.

Importance of MIS for Project Implementation
The GIS-based MIS is a computerized database designed to support CSIAP in decision-making, coordination, visualization, and analysis of project-related information. Addressing the participants, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director of the CSIAP, welcomed the staff and emphasized the critical role of the MIS in improving project efficiency, transparency, and results-based management.

Technical Sessions and Hands-On Training
The system was developed by Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd. The technical team, including Mr. Dinesh Denipitiya, Senior Business Manager (Operations), Mr. Chamath Ekanayake, Tech Lead, and Mr. Pavithra Prabodya, Senior Software Engineer, conducted detailed sessions on the features and functionality of the GIS-based MIS. Participants were provided with hands-on training to familiarize themselves with the system’s practical applications in field-level operations and reporting.

Programme Expansion to Other Provinces
The training programme will be extended to the CSIAP staff in the North Western, North Central, Northern, and Eastern Provinces in the coming weeks. Subject Specialists from the Project Management Unit of the CSIAP also participated in the programme, ensuring alignment between provincial and central-level implementation.

Programme Coordination
This event was coordinated by Mr. Nalaka Attanayake, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the CSIAP, as part of the project’s ongoing efforts to strengthen monitoring systems and promote evidence-based decision-making across all project areas.

Dapog nursery method introduces to Uva by the CSIAP

Dapog nursery method, which is used to produce seedlings for transplant paddy seedlings in the field by using either Mechanical or Manual Paddy Transplanters, is introduced to farmers in Buttala located in Uva province by the Deputy Project Director’s Office (Uva Province) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project.

This nursery is established on polythene or in the transplanting trays. At the inception around 3-4 feet, a wide nursery bed is constructed on the field and lay a polythene sheet on it. Subsequently, a ½ inch thickness mud layer is spread on the polythene, and equally, distribute germinated seed paddy on this mud layer.

This nursery is maintained for around 14 days by daily applying water and fertilizer as required. After 14 days, these seedlings can be  used  for planting by removing the polythene sheet and  cutting the nursery into pieces and inserting them into transplanting trays. There are several benefits of the Dapok nursery. It needs less area to produce seedlings and requires less quantity of seed paddy (12 -15Kgs ) to cultivate 01-acre paddy land. In addition, the uprooting cost of paddy seedlings is very low when compared with the manual transplanting system. Hence it is explicit the Dapog system leads to minimising production cost for paddy farmers and increasing farmer family income.  

Over 120 farmers participated in the 03 training programmes conducted  in Buttala ASC (Agrarian Service Center) division to gain experience in preparing Dapog nurseries and around 400 transplanting trays were given to farmers. Agriculture Instructor Mr. K. D. I. Amitha Premalal (Buththala range), Agriculture Research and Production Assistants Ms. R.M.Kanthy and  Mr. J. Gunadasa conducted the training. 

Story and Photographs by R. Dushyanthan (Agriculture Facilitator), Buththala ASC, UP

First-Ever Hydrological Studies Software Workshop Conducted in NWP

 The first workshop of the workshop series titled “Hydrological Studies Using Software Applications” was recently conducted at the Irrigation Training Institute, Galgamuwa, for engineering and technical staff of the Department of Agrarian Development, Department of Irrigation, and the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP – NWP). The programme was organized by the Design Cell of CSIAP with the aim of strengthening technical capacity in the irrigation sector in the North Western Province.

Establishment of the Design Cell at the PMU
The Design Cell was designed and established at the Project Management Unit (PMU) in 2021 by the  Mr. S. Manoharan,  Task Team Leader (TTL) for the CSIAP and it constitutes of Eng. Randika Gunarathna, Eng. Osanda Samarakoon and Eng. Sumudu Ekanayake..These Engineers were trained by the Mr. Manoharan and Dr. Dinesh Kumar Manhachery ,Hydrologist and  Consultants of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United and  the World Bank.

Mr. Manoharan and Dr. Manhachery

Strengthening Technical Capacity and Water Accounting Expertise
The establishment of the Design Cell at the PMU was a strategic step toward strengthening technical rigor and sustainability in cascade-level planning. By building the capacity of a dedicated team of engineers and introducing systematic water accounting approaches, Mr. Manoharan aimed to create a strong foundation for evidence-based decision-making.  Training given to the Design Cell engineers by both Mr. Manoharan and Dr.  Manhachery was focused on equipping them with practical tools and analytical approaches for water accounting and landscape-level planning. This Design Cell has completed water accounting in 15 cascades and initiated establishing such a cell at DAD for future work. 

Enhancing Skills Through Applied Software Training
The primary objective of the workshop was to equip Sri Lankan engineers with practical knowledge and skills in the use of software applications related to hydrological studies. The programme also focused on transferring the technical expertise gained by the CSIAP Design Cell to implementing agencies and other authorities involved in irrigation planning and management. 

Structured Programme with Expert Guidance 
The workshop was conducted in two sessions, each lasting one week. It was initiated under the guidance of Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP, and technically guided by Senior Engineering Consultant Eng. H.G.M. Kulasinghe. Project Engineering Consultants Eng. R.M.H.N. Bandara and Eng. P.H.S. Rangika contributed as  resource persons, sharing their expertise and practical experience with participants.

Effective Coordination and Collaboration
The programme was coordinated by Mr. W.M.S. Wijesinghe, Deputy Project Director of CSIAP (North Western Province), ensuring smooth implementation and effective collaboration among participating institutions.

Images of the Farmer Filed School captured by a Drone