Giant's Tank
Giant's Tank (; "Yōdha Væva") is an irrigation tank in northern Sri Lanka, approximately south east of Mannar. History. Some historians have speculated that Giant's Tank is the same as the Mahanama Matha Vapi tank built by King Dhatusena in the fifth century and restored by King Parakramabahu I in the twelfth century. On the other hand, Mudaliyar C. Rajanayagam in his book "Ancient Jaffna" suggests that the tank was probably constructed by the Nagas. Rajanayagam has suggested that the "Megisba" lake mentioned by Pliny in "Description of Taprobane" was in fact Giant's Tank. Consideration  was given to renovating the tank during Dutch Governor Willem Jacob van de Graaf's administration in the eighteenth century but nothing happened. Restoration did however begin in the 1880s following a motion in the Legislative Council by P. Ramanathan. Delays by epidemics and other issues meant that restoration wasn't completed until November 1902. A thick, high, long stone dam (known as "tekkam" in Tamil) was built across the Aruvi Aru from its mouth. The waters were then diverted to Giant's Tank by a inlet channel ("alawakkai"). The tank had a catchment area of . The name "Giant's  Tank" was the English translation of the local name for the tank - "Sodayan Kattu Karai" (giant built embankment). The tank is now known as "Kattukarai Kulam" in Tamil. Responsibility for the tank passed from the Public Works Department to the Department of Irrigation in 1900. By the late 1960s the tank's bund was long and high whilst the tank's storage capacity was and its water spread area was . There was a channel flow spill on the right bank and seven sluices. Water from the tank was transferred to numerous minor irrigation tanks via a main channel and of  branch channels. The tank's storage capacity was in 2003 and it was capable of irrigating . The tank's height was but it was capable of holding safely. The tank's storage capacity was in 2009 and it was capable of irrigating .