Kantale

Kantale (Sinhala: කන්තලේ, romanized: Kantalē; Tamil: கந்தளாய், romanized: Kantaḷāy) is a town in the Trincomalee District in eastern Sri Lanka. The town is located 38 km (24 mi) south-west of Trincomalee.

According to the ancient chronicle, Mahavamsa, Kantale Tank, also named "Gangathala Vapi", is credited as being built by Aggabodhi the II (606–618) and rehabilitated and developed by Parakramabahu the Great (1153–1186). 3,750 hectares. Constructed for the irrigation of crops in this arid region, its source of water is the Mahaweli River, the longest in the island, which flows out to the sea at Trincomalee. One of the oldest tanks in Sri Lanka, the Kantale Tank gives water to a vast area for paddy and sugar cane plantations as well as for human consumption in Trincomalee and the adjoining areas.

About Trincomalee District

Trincomalee is a port city on the east coast of Sri Lanka. The Bay of Trincomalee's harbour is renowned for its large size and security; unlike every other in the Indian Sea, it is accessible to all types of craft in all weathers. The beaches are used for surfing, scuba diving, fishing and whale watching. The city also has the largest Dutch fort in Sri Lanka. It is home to major Sri Lankan naval bases and a Sri Lankan Air Force base.

About Eastern Province

The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was temporarily merged with the Northern Province to form the North-East Province. The capital of the province is Trincomalee. The Eastern province's population was 1,460,939 in 2007. The province is the most diverse in Sri Lanka, both ethnically and religiously.