Abstract:
Development can be defined as a specified state of growth or advancement; a new and advanced
product or idea; an event constituting a new stage in a changing situation. In its involvement in
enhancing living conditions in the poor, developing countries might well be very different from those in
the rich countries since development covers areas like social, cultural, spiritual and economic. The
Samanala Wewa development project was commissioned in 1992. It has become the key factor for many
socio-cultural changes in the area. The Samanala Wewa dam is located in the Uda Walawe basin, near
Balangoda. The main objective of this study was confined to finding out the appropriateness of the
Samanala Wewa project in paving the way for a development that would open new opportunities for
the people of the area. Data for the study were collected through an interview schedule from fifty
households out of 153 in three villages located near the Samanala Wewa reservoir. According to the
results of this research, 86% of those who answered as “satisfied” with the project gave the reason for
it as “improvement in infrastructure and access to society” brought about by the relocation to suburban
areas, while 14% of those who answered “unsatisfied” raised as reasons “loss of self-sufficient
economy and rural life,” showing that reaction to the change in environment caused by the relocation
from rural to suburban areas varies by the resident. It is presumed that dissatisfaction or “loss of selfsufficient economy and rural life” is caused by financial difficulties such as difficulty in finding jobs
and low cash income. Accordingly, this project can be identified as one which is not merely
unsuccessful. However, it should be carried out with some social development projects to uplift the
quality of life of the people concerned.
