Modern housing development strategy a must - Minister Weerawansa
by L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI
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Here Minister Wimal Weerawansa addresses the UN habitat session
in Nairobi - Kenya.
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Village-based housing development strategies are more important than
the urban-centred housing projects to solve the housing problem, said
Construction, Engineering services, Housing and Common amenities
Minister Wimal Weerawansa.
Addressing the 23rd session of the UN Habitat council held in
Nairobi, Kenya recently Minister Weerawansa said that it is high time to
evaluate the housing development strategies implemented by various
countries and organisations during the past three decades.
Sri Lanka had taken effective steps to bring about a new change in
the housing settlement under the "Mahinda Chinthana" development policy
framework. Sri Lanka hopes to build one million houses within a period
of five years, the Minister said.
"One of the major reasons for the deteriorating conditions of the
quality of urban settlement is the dramatic increase of urban population
due to migration from rural areas to metropolitan, also lack of lands in
urban areas, high cost of lands, constant floods of low-lying areas of
the metropolis, high cost of conventional construction methods, complex
administrative procedures adopted by commercial banks in approving
housing loans worsen this situation, minister said.
Many delegates of the 23rd UN habitat session expressed their desire
to obtain more information on the Sri Lanka's housing development
strategies.
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