Socio-cultural factors that determine the success and failure of a development project. (With special reference to Samanala Wewa development project in Sri Lanka)

Development can be defined as a specified state of growth or advancement; a new and advanced product or idea; an event constituting a new stage in a changing situation. In its involvement in enhancing living conditions in the poor, developing countries might well be very different from those in the rich countries since development covers areas like social, cultural, spiritual and economic. The Samanala Wewa development project was commissioned in 1992. It has become the key factor for many socio-cultural changes in the area. The Samanala Wewa dam is located in the Uda Walawe basin, near Balangoda. The main objective of this study was confined to finding out the appropriateness of the Samanala Wewa project in paving the way for a development that would open new opportunities for the people of the area. Data for the study were collected through an interview schedule from fifty households out of 153 in three villages located near the Samanala Wewa reservoir. According to the results of this research, 86% of those who answered as “satisfied” with the project gave the reason for it as “improvement in infrastructure and access to society” brought about by the relocation to suburban areas, while 14% of those who answered “unsatisfied” raised as reasons “loss of self-sufficient economy and rural life,” showing that reaction to the change in environment caused by the relocation from rural to suburban areas varies by the resident. It is presumed that dissatisfaction or “loss of self-sufficient economy and rural life” is caused by financial difficulties such as difficulty in finding jobs and low cash income. Accordingly, this project can be identified as one which is not merely unsuccessful. However, it should be carried out with some social development projects to uplift the quality of life of the people concerned. KEYWORDS: development project, infrastructure, rural life, econom