''The Irrigation Department is functioning for nearly 120 years. The country's first Irrigation Ordinance came into effect in 1856 as the Irrigation and Paddy Fields Cultivation Ordinance of No. 9. The irrigation officials undergo numerous difficulties due to ambiguities in the irrigation legislations.

Therefore, revision of the Irrigation Ordinance is an urgent requirement. The Land Policy in 2015 suggests that the Irrigation Ordinance is outdated now," Alwis said. Once the amended Irrigation Ordinance come into force, the lawsuits against those who encroach on irrigation reservation would be accelerated and developing water resources, managing water, conserving irrigation systems and executing related administrative work could be achieved efficiently and productively.