Construction of the lower Malwathu Oya reservoir is scheduled to be launched on August 25 with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as chief guests. This is the sixth-largest reservoir in the country with a water capacity of 170,000 acre feet. It will be the largest reservoir in the Anuradhapura district. The construction of this giant tank will be a relief to the people of Anuradhapura who are affected by floods and drought frequently, and also to the farming community in the adjoining Mannar and Vavuniya districts.