Divisional Secretariat - Angunukolapalassa

Village History

It seems that the creation of the old village names in this division is rooted in the surrounding environmental resources such as streams, rivers, lake embankments and trees.

It is clear from historical information and stories from folklore that the area known today as Angunakolapelessa extends back to the reign of the kingdom in the distant past. With the birth of the heroic and patriot King Dutugemunu, who united Sri Lanka, this Ruhunu area is also an area that contributed to giving giant power to the ten great giants of the warriors. Also, this area can be considered as an area where the heroic generals who took the lead to save our country, as well as the patriots who provided rice to the entire country, were devoted to the country's security.

This area was full of population during the time of the Sinhalese king, then the population of this area may have decreased little by little after the ruler ship of King Dutugemunu moved to Rajarata. As a result, the reservoirs in the area were destroyed and it is believed to have become an extremely arid area. Because of this, with the spread of epidemic diseases, these areas may have been depopulated. From 1594 to 1948 when it was a colony of foreigners, their main source of income was the cultivation of commercial crops such as tea, coconut, rubber, cinnamon, and coffee. The rice cultivation here has declined. After independence in 1848, through various development schemes like Mahaweliya again this area has started to be settled and developed.

Getting village name

Many ideas have been put forward about the name Angunakolapelessa being given to this village.

One opinion is that Amunu Kela was an area where paddy was cultivated, and that the area of ​​Amunu Kela was later subjected to various changes and was destroyed.

There is another opinion that in the distant past, the Ayurvedic system of medicine was called Angunakolapelessa because of the presence of a large number of medicinal plants called Anguna, which were very useful in killing poisons.

Legend has it that this name was applied to the area where an ancient villager living in this area became degenerate after eating a type of leaf cut and prepared from the forest.

Physical environment

Topography and Drainage Pattern The physical location of the Angunakolapelessa Provincial Secretariat is almost completely plain. This division is located slightly inland from the coast in the southern part of Sri Lanka. Although it is generally considered a plain area, the southern and western parts of this division are mostly undulating. There are also some small hills in the northern area. Kaparella Mountain is the highest among these small hills found in the areas of Debokkawa, Talawa, Dabarulla and Kendaketiya with a height of 799 feet.

Natural drainage pattern the natural water resources in Angunakolapelessa area are very limited. There are no large-scale rivers or natural reservoirs. Only two small watercourses with low water capacity are located in the division and they are Kachchigalara and Urubokuoya. Among the lakes located in the division, the biggest lake is Matigatwala lake. This is also a water source for drinking water project.

Geographical location

It is located between 6.5 to 6.20 north latitude and 80.45 to 80.55 east longitude.

https://goo.gl/maps/CVa5Z5755Vg8Ks8Z6 

Soil and mineral resources

Red brown soil and watery soil are among the main soil types in the area. In some areas minor Tiruvana deposits are found. A few granite deposits are also located here. Thiruvana, granite and clay are the main mineral resources here.

Natural vegetation and forests

In the past, dry and arid zone forests with natural vegetation were found here, but nowadays they have been destroyed due to various development processes. Apart from the bushes and plants found everywhere in the Anuwa area, there was a special natural vegetation cover. Due to the population growth that occurred with the establishment of Mahaweli farming colonies, clearing the land for development activities led to the reduction of forests. The area has nearly 1400 acres of teak plantation started under reforestation by the government towards the northern part of the division.

The area around the 799 feet high Kaparella mountain in the very scenic eco-sensitive area of ​​the division was composed of valuable plant species such as teak, jackfruit, buruta and blackwood, but at present only a small number of teak plants and debara plants can be seen. It too is rapidly being destroyed by the activities of timber smugglers. Due to the elimination of plants and bushes, this area is being washed away.

Plants around 40-50 feet high are found and plants such as kohomba, buruta, teak, jackfruit, andara, eraminia, coconut etc. are grown in abundance. The palm plant grows widely in areas like Talawa and Kariyamaditta in the division.

There are serious threats to the biodiversity of the area and due to this some plants and animals are threatened with extinction. Plants of local origin such as vegetables, fruits, Suduhadun, Karula, Kalumadiriya, Mee, Ivmemata, Totila, Palola, Rukattana, Erabadu, etc. are threatened with extinction. Apart from this, there are reptiles like pythons, snakes, cobras, and quadrupeds like rabbits, miminna, wasps, deer, and blackbirds, and birds like yellow birds, hornbills, black crows, and black crows, and insects like bees, wasps, and wasps. is also threatened with torture.

Thus, several reasons for the destruction of biodiversity can be identified. Hay farming, use of agrochemicals, planting of exotic plants that are not native to the area, cultivation of vegetables and fruits of local origin, cultivation of exotic plants such as turpentine acacia, teak, ipil ipil, hunting animals, burning of forest areas, thus destroying biodiversity. has been affected.

When considering the invasive organisms that affect the biodiversity of the area, plants such as Salvinia and Japanese Jabara, which invade the aquatic environment, have a special place. As a result of this, the fish resources of the area are reduced and the reservoirs face the threat of overflowing. Since these plants are extremely abundant in nitrates, they can be used for the production of compost. The plants that harm the terrestrial ecosystem are plants like stinking, Ipil Ipil, and Acacia.

Important Places of Angunacolapalassa Divisional Secretariat

Kaparella range is the highest point in Angunacolapalassa regional secretariat division. Its highest point is about 799 feet high. Talawa North, Dabarella South, Kandaketiya, Uswewa, Debokkawa North belong to the village official domains. The plant community in this mountain range where the biodiversity was very high, many problems such as destruction of biodiversity due to reasons such as fires by the human community, cultivation of plants like turpentine of foreign origin, teak, hunting of wild animals, increase in soil erosion, etc. can.

Kasagala Purana Vihara can be called as a place of ecological and religious importance. There are many ruins of this temple which belongs to Kandy era. At present, the eyes of both local and foreign tourists are drawn to the murals in the old temple. A rare plant cultivation program was implemented to improve the ecological status of the Kasagala temple. Under that, 100 rare plants such as Karuvala, Kalu Madaria, Kumbuk, Mee and Esala were planted under the guidance of the Ministry of Environment.

It is seen in the Buddhist literature that villages were built around the lake and the fields during the reign. Thus, there are many lakes in our regional secretariat, but the only lake located at the highest point is considered to be the high lake. Also, the largest reservoir in our regional secretariat is Metigathwala reservoir. The ancients also called this as the lake of jewels. Gems are also known to appear near the lake even today. The capacity of this lake is about 900 acres.

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