H. B. Jayasekare belonged to an elite family of Dompe in the Gampaha District. He had received his secondary education at Ananda College Colombo. Having entered the Faculty of Engineering in the University of Peradeniya in early 1960s HB completed his higher education in the United Kingdom.
In the latter part of 1960s Jayasekare joined the State Engineering Corporation and worked under chief of the institution Dr. A. N. S. Kulasinghe- the doyen of the revolutionary engineering applications.
In 1973, with the establishment of CECB- the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau, as an institution amalgamated to the Mahaweli Development Authority, Jayasekare had to serve in it in the capacity of project manager. Herein we acknowledge the service he rendered in this capacity as most valuable for consolidating an organisation while serving to the nation.
I am fortunate enough to work under him and associate with his valuable principles of working for of more than four decades within CECB, from the day I graduated from the university as a young engineer.
Jayasekare was involved in the principle works of the designs of the reservoirs of Kothmale, Randenigala, Rantambe and Maduruoya- the major reservoir series of the accelerated Mahaveli Project which had usually required different disciplines of engineering, capacities of project management and generally to work with the specific consultancies of CECB together with the authority of Mahaweli.
I am personally aware that Jayasekare’s prime contributions had been focused in the launch of the Victoria Project of the Mahaweli accelerated program.
I can recollect, out of many instances, the involvement of HB who had faithfully identified the objectives of the project that he works with, as to sustain with people living in the environment.
In this background, HB even led the foreign consultants to change their original designs. I would like to site one example. The consultant engineers of Alexander Gibb wanted to have the gates of Victoria dam as in the way the dam of Cariba in Africa has it gates in the lower level of the dam.
But Jayasekare opposed this method of installing the gates giving out the reasons for his stance. Finally they accepted Jayasekare’s proposal and changed the position of the gates which is very valid within our atmosphere, even up to this day.
After 25 years of completion of the Victoria Project! Jayasekare who was already retired from active service at the CECB but one particular day he had been summoned for the inspection of the Victoria hydropower tunnel.
The entrance to the tunnel is a 120 metre deep vertical cylinder with simple metal hooks fastened on to the inner wall for holding and placing the feet for descending down to the horizontal tube which carry water up to the power generators.
I felt a bit shaky before entering into the deep well and scrolling through the dark tunnel along nearly six kilometres in length. But Jayasekare spoke to the descending gang and got into the tube to climb down a height of 120 metres without anything to be used at a risk.
Finally came out through an opening in close proximity to the power station. (This daring dedication of HB towards the country and his profession had been proved in this ordeal of ‘inspection tunnel’.)
In the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau Jayasekare held many of the hierarchical levels including the overall project management and the general management. But he accepted the chairmanship only obeying the strong propel of the executives of the organisation.
After his retirement from the service I was posted to the chairperson of the organisation. Within my period of service and even after it Jayasekare was summoned to the board as a board member. I felt, that until 2019 he had been closely watching the CECB.
When I was in the chair I got the opportunity of reading the host of records accumulated within the chairman’s room. Most of them were of HB’s essential technical reports written with wise analytical approach. All of these formal records including the pen sketches exhibit his dedication to engineering and to the society in total.
Having launched the initial studies, the irrigation projects related with the rivers Menik, Kalu, Yan, Uma and upper Kothmale have been completed with the involvement of the CECB under the guidance of Jayasekare.
He was not only a modern day engineer but he was equipped with the sense of the water heritage of Sri Lanka- our irrigation systems gifted to us by the geniuses of this nation. Once when he was questioned on how he captured the sensitivity and the knowledge of the country’s ancient irrigation system his answer was: “we have them within our genetics.”
In my professional life Jayasekare has been my teacher mostly in proper application of engineering skills. One day after his retirement I was summoned to his home and he donated all his text books and other literature related to engineering to me. (
Jayasekare was taller than six feet with an elegant stature and a record holder in sports. It is his tradition to bend towards the other and listened to him, even to his woes, with a light smile on his lips.
Jayasekare silently watched the water resources development taken place within the country during the past 10 years.
He led a humble, calm and religious life.
Let us express our deepest condolence to all of the family.
May he attain the bliss of Nibbana as expected!
Nihal Rupasinghe- former Secretary to Ministry of Mahaweli and Irrigations and former Chairman of the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB)