Colombo in full swing for CHOGM

By Ranil Wijayapala

Renovation of pavements near Lake House

Traffic congestion, half-done pavements and roads filled with dust from construction sites are a common site in Colombo these days. Hundreds of labourers are working round the clock to complete beautifying the city for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting next month.

Many people are bewildered as to how the work could be completed as many roads are in disarray. But the engineers of the Colombo Municipal Council who are handling and supervising the CHOGM related development activities in the city are confident that the city will have a better look once all the work is completed.

"We hope to complete the major construction work of the CHOGM related projects by the end of this month and only the lane marking and other minor work will be completed after November 1. "The city will be beautiful after the completion of work", Engineer Jayantha Guruge, Director Engineering of the Colombo Municipal Council who is in charge of the CHOGM related development of the Colombo city told the Sunday Observer.

Guruge said the CMC undertook the development of the main routes from the Nelum Pokuna roundabout along Horton Place up to the Model Farm junction. Then Rosmead Place, Wijerama Mawatha will also be developed by the CMC.

"We are doing the entire road, walk ways and a part of its landscaping ", he added.

Development of roads for CHOGM in the Colombo city is a challenging task for the CMC and it has deployed its full workforce for these activities.

"We undertook the task of asphalt laying of eight kilometers of the city roads for the CHOGM on a 100 days target. We also get the support of 250 workers from the Civil Defence Force on a directive from Defence Secretary to complete our work", he added.

However, though all the development activities taking place in the Colombo city looks like related to the CHOGM many of the development activities done under the Metro Colombo Urban Development Project funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development.

Road renovation work in progress near the CMC The jogging track at the Viharamahadevi Park The newly built bus halt at the entrance to the Slave Island police station

The renovated roads near the CMC

Engineer Nihal Wickremaratne, Director Engineering, Traffic Design, Road Safety of the CMC and also engineer in charge of the MCUDP projects comes under the CMC, many development projects such as Town Hall Square development, Viharamahadevi Park Development, improvement of the Slave Island and Union Place and Lake House roundabout were ongoing projects prior to the starting of the CHOGM related activities.

Re-laying the pavements at the Lake House roundabout

Installing the lighting system at the Nelum Pokuna Mawatha close to Viharamahadevi Park

"These projects were outsourced to private contractors and contractors who could not complete their work on target were given a labour force to complete their projects for the CHOGM.

The Civil Defence Force personnel made available by the Defence Secretary to the CMC were also attached to the private contractors to complete the work", he said.

Many of the projects such as Town Hall Square Development and the asphalt surfacing of roads and the improvement of the Lake House roundabout under the MCUDP projects will be completed and part of the Viharamahadevi Park development work will be done parallel to the CHOGM related development works to keep the city beautiful, Wickremaratne added.

"People are inconvenienced due to the speedy development activities in the city and traffic congestions with the changes we have made. But they will be able to see the real outcome once these projects are completed", he added. Apart from these development activities the CMC will also undertake the illumination of the city for the CHOGM with the participation of the private sector.

"We are lighting the city with the support of the private sector and 100 flower pots will be placed in different locations to beautify the city during the CHOGM. A unique pandal to welcome the delegates to the Colombo city will be done at the Baseline Road by the CMC", Engineer Jayantha Guruge said.

Colombo Mayor A.J.M. Muzammil is confident that they will be able to give a complete face-lift to the Colombo city for the CHOGM. "We are working towards it and we are sure that people will be able to see a beautiful city during the CHOGM and after that as CMC is investing huge amount for this event", he added.