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| Sunday, 14 November 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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A dark street by Prasad Gunewardene One would not believe that there is a" Dark Street" in the heart of the city of Colombo. Yes. It is totally dark in the night except for some light being shed at one point from bulbs glittering from a Karaoke. The road is D. R. Wjewardene Mawatha earlier known as McCullum Road. The entire stretch of this road from the Lake House roundabout to the Darley Road entrance widely known as the Gamini Hall roundabout is in total darkness in the night. This road has been kept in the dark for a considerable length of time paving the way for nefarious activities after dusk. If one proceeds after 9.00 pm, you could witness members of the oldest profession attempting to stop cars while older men in vehicles attempt to grab hermaphrodites who compete to inveigle clients. The darkness that prevails is an ideal setting for the drunk at the Karaoke' to battle with opponents in the middle of the road bringing fear to motorists who use this road quite seldom in the night for fear of life. Wijewardene Mawatha leads to many important state institutions that serve the masses. Apart from the Mail Exchange, this road runs by several state and private banks. These banks have their security men at night but, the numbers are limited. Police patrols at night are very rare. Even the traffic policemen do not move onto this road at night. They do the checking at the roundabout opposite Lake House. Hence D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha is a haven for nefarious activities. The UNP administered Colombo Municipal Council in the past engaged in extravaganzas claiming it would make the city the best in Asia at night. There was a program called Colombo by Night with illuminations round the city spending millions of rupees at the expense of the ratepayer. With the UNP Mayor, Prasanna Gunewardene, Deputy Mayor Azath Sally going different ways, the ratepayer is left in the lurch to risk his life in the night in the heart of the city while banks on this stretch run a security risk. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
