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. 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 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 . ==See also==