Don Gunasena Athukorala

Don Gunasena Athukorala (25 May 1924 - 22 February 2024) was a civil engineer who was a founding member of the State Engineering Corporation of Sri Lanka, where he later served as the Deputy General Manager in 1970, and later the Chairman in 1977.

Education Don Gunasena received his early education from St. John's College and Sri Sumangala College in Panadura. He further had his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of London in 1950, and obtained his membership into the Institution of Civil Engineers, London (MICE) in 1955.

Career After his education in London, Don Gunasena worked as an engineer for Willment Brothers Limited. He left for Scott Wilson Group in 1952, where he was the Design Engineer. He returned to Sri Lanka in 1954, and joined the Department of Industries as an Assistant Engineer.

With the arrival of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka to run the Ministry of Housing and Construction and the subsequent politicization of the SEC, Don Gunasena departed to the United Kingdom. In the UK he joined Sir William Halcrow & Partners.

Don Gunasena returned to Sri Lanka and joined the Mahaweli Development Board (MDB) and was involved in the design and construction of the Polgolla Dam and Bowatenna Dam. In 1977, he returned to SEC as the Chairman. He managed some of the most notable engineerings works in the country including the Polgolla, Randenigala, Victoria, Kotmale, and Rantembe Dams and related hydroelectric power stations.