The canal which is 14.5 km long, was build by the British between 1802 and 1804. It connects Colombo and Puttalam and passes through Negombo.
Named after Gavin Hamilton, the Government Agent of Revenue and Commerce, the canal is part of Sri Lanka's historical network of canals that ran along the western seabord of the country.
Between 2012 and 2013, the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation carried out restoration works to rehabilitate the canal.
The State Ministry of Tourism Promotion believes the canal can be turned into a major tourist attraction of the area. The canal may later be connected to the Colombo Port City to allow visitors arriving by cruise ships to embark on a canal boat journey, too.
The adjacent area boasts rich biodirversity and is inhabited by a large number of fish, birds and plants species providing great opportunities for ecotourism. The Ministry also plans to offer land along the canal for cnstruction of new restaurants and motels.
Dutch Canal in Colombo to Be Reinvented as New Tourist Attraction
News in Asia
Hamilton Canal, also known as the Dutch Canal in Sri Lanka will be redeveloped as a new tourist attraction offering tourirsts a European-style canal experience, Sri Lanka Tourism announced recently.