Kantalai
Kantalai is a small town situated in the Trincomalee district in eastern Sri Lanka It has a mixed population of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. Its history is closely related to the Kantalai Tank.
According to the chronicles the tank, also named “Gangathala Vapi” was built by Aggabodhi the II (606-618) and rehabilitated and developed by King Parakramabahu the Great.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.
The Kantalai tank supports a thriving inland fishing industry and has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International in recognition of the large populations of water birds and birds of prey it supports. Large herds of elephants also visit the shores of the tank to cool off and have a drink in the evening from the surrounding jungle.
One of the oldest tanks in Sri Lanka, the Kantalai 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.