Feb 07, Colombo: Sri Lanka will draw plans to rehabilitate a segment of the old Dutch-built Hamilton Canal to improve the livelihood of the people living in the area and also to promote tourism.

Hamilton Canal, built by the Dutch and finished by the British in 1802 for transportation of goods, extends from Kelani Ganga to the Negombo lagoon and continues northwards to the Puttalam lagoon.

The Land Reclamation and Development Corporation has undertaken the rehabilitation of an 8.7 km segment of the Hamilton Canal from Ma-Oya to Negombo Lagoonand the work is now nearing completion.

The Department of Town and Country Planning of the University of Moratuwa has prepared a development plan for the remaining 14 km section of the Hamilton Canal from Negombo Lagoon to Kelani Ganga Estuary (Hekiththa).

The cabinet today approved a proposal by the Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa to hand over the rehabilitation of the remaining segment to the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation for rehabilitation.