| Giant's Tank | |
| Pushpin Map: | Sri Lanka Northern Province |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Northern Province |
| Location: | Northern Province |
| Coords: | 8.8756°N 80.0333°W |
| Type: | Artificial lake |
| Rivers: | Aruvi Aru |
| Catchment: | 380NaN0 |
| Agency: | Department of Irrigation, Government of Sri Lanka |
| Volume: | 31500acre.ft |
| Elevation: | 440NaN0[1] |
Giant's Tank (ta|கட்டுக்கரை குளம்|translit=Kaṭṭukkarai Kuḷam; si|යෝධ වැව Yōdha Væva) is an irrigation tank in northern Sri Lanka, approximately 100NaN0 south east of Mannar.
Some historians have speculated that Giant's Tank is the same as the Mahanama Matha Vapi tank built by King Dhatusena in the fifth century and restored by King Parakramabahu I in the twelfth century.[2] [3] On the other hand, Mudaliyar C. Rajanayagam in his book Ancient Jaffna suggests that the tank was probably constructed by the Nagas.[4] Rajanayagam has suggested that the Megisba lake mentioned by Pliny in Description of Taprobane was in fact Giant's Tank.[5]
Consideration was given to renovating the tank during Dutch Governor Willem Jacob van de Graaf's administration in the eighteenth century but nothing happened.[2] Restoration did however begin in the 1880s following a motion in the Legislative Council by P. Ramanathan.[2] Delays by epidemics and other issues meant that restoration wasn't completed until November 1902.[2] [6] A 900NaN0 thick, 120NaN0 high, 6400NaN0 long stone dam (known as tekkam in Tamil) was built across the Aruvi Aru 220NaN0 from its mouth.[7] The waters were then diverted to Giant's Tank by a 120NaN0 inlet channel (alawakkai).[2] [7] The tank had a catchment area of 380NaN0.[2] The name Giant's Tank was the English translation of the local name for the tank - Sodayan Kattu Karai (giant built embankment).[2] [8] The tank is now known as Kattukarai Kulam in Tamil.[9]
Responsibility for the tank passed from the Public Works Department to the Department of Irrigation in 1900.[10] By the late 1960s the tank's bund was 4.50NaN0 long and 10feet high whilst the tank's storage capacity was 26600acre.ft and its water spread area was 45500NaN0.[2] There was a 1720NaN0 channel flow spill on the right bank and seven sluices.[2] Water from the tank was transferred to numerous minor irrigation tanks via a 240NaN0 main channel and 240NaN0 of branch channels.[2]
The tank's storage capacity was 30500acre.ft in 2003 and it was capable of irrigating 240000NaN0.[9] The tank's height was 11.50NaN0 but it was capable of holding 100NaN0 safely.[9] The tank's storage capacity was 31500acre.ft in 2009 and it was capable of irrigating 270000NaN0.[3]