Opinion:

Security Forces transform Colombo to a greener place

By K.M.H.C.B. Kulatunga

A little over five years after the eradication of terrorism, Sri Lanka today is one of the most peaceful countries in Asia, and is in the midst of a wide ranging economic transformation through rapid economic growth.

In a situation such as this, while maintaining national security and ensuring that our hard-earned peace is maintained remains the primary duty of the military, there are other roles too that it has to play.

The Security Forces have done a commendable job in transforming Colombo and its suburbs to greener, safe and attractive place for one and all to live in peace and harmony.

One of the major hazards faced by Colombo, Sri Lanka's largest city, in the last decade has been flooding caused by unpredicted high intensity rainfall. These floods were a particular issue for people living in low lying areas and in underserved settlements, but also caused life in the city in general to come to a virtual halt.

On one occasion a few years ago, even the Parliament became flooded after an unprecedented storm. One of the main reasons for this flood hazard that affected the greater Colombo metro area was the filling in of natural marshland and other low-lying lands that served as natural water retention and catchment areas.

Flood hazard

This filling in took place as more and more people migrated from rural areas and other cities into Colombo over the last several decades, which caused the city to rapidly expand. Insufficient investment was made in upgrading the drainage infrastructure, which, together with changing weather patterns that have increased the severity of storms, led to the flood hazard.

Overcoming this problem was a priority of the Government, which has undertaken several initiatives over the past few years to address the underlying issues leading to the flood hazard.

The Metro Colombo Urban Development Project implemented under the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development and financed through a World Bank loan is the primary effort that focuses on improving the drainage infrastructure. The creation of new micro drainage channels throughout the city, improvements to primary and secondary canals, and the complete rehabilitation of the long neglected Beire Lake at the city centre are among the core objectives of this landmark project.

In addition to these initiatives, the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation has dredged a number of filled in marshlands around the Greater Colombo Metro Area, creating lakes for water retention in places such as Rampalawatta, Pelawatte and Thalawathugoda.

Urban development

The Werassaganga development program will address the flooding issue in the south of the Metro Area. This project will ensure the further development of the canal system and the creation of water retention areas. Through these major infrastructure improvement projects, it is envisaged that the issue of flooding in Colombo will be significantly reduced.

One of the foremost urban development initiatives of the Government in recent years has been the improving the standard of living of people in underserved settlements through the provision of new housing. Before this project began, Colombo had nearly 70,000 families living in shanties and slums. Through the Relocation of Underserved Settlements Program, these families are being given good quality housing in medium-to-high rise housing complexes located in reasonable proximity to their original dwellings.

This is to ensure that there will be minimal disruption to their lives, since they do not have to find new jobs or find new schools for their children. In addition, by introducing these families to a much better and more comfortable way of life, the project will help to create the domestic environment they need to achieve social mobility.

Garbage

From the perspective of resiliency, we should not forget that most of these underserved settlements were located in low-lying areas such as the strategic reservations of the canals and railways, and they were therefore more vulnerable to flooding than the rest of the city's population.

Because of the haphazard nature and the unsanitary & unhygienic conditions of the slums and shanties, the people living in them were at high risk of other hazards such as fire and disease epidemics such as dengue and diahrroea. Considering this, it should be noted that the relocation programme has greatly helped reduce the vulnerability of this population segment to such hazards, thereby improving the city's resiliency.

Another visible issue that used to affect Colombo was the accumulation of uncollected garbage on its streets. Piles of garbage were not only unsightly, but also led to other negative consequences such as the proliferation of stray dogs and greater risk of rabies infections, an increase in incidence of mosquito borne diseases.

As a result of stricter attention being paid to the administration of garbage collection contracts and the introduction of a few innovative solutions, such as the establishment of the Environmental Protection division within the Police to monitor the streets, this issue has largely been solved due to the untiring efforts of the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The pollution of our waterways and even of groundwater through the discharge of leachate from improperly disposed solid waste is a serious long-term issue, and a proper mechanism for addressing it has long been a requirement for Colombo.

Landfill

A feasibility study in this regard has already been completed, and plans have been drawn to transport the collected garbage via rail to a sanitary landfill that will be built some distance away from the city. The first contract for the project is about to be tendered. A particular feature of this project is that the sanitary landfill to be constructed will be able to absorb the municipal solid waste generated from the metro area for a period of thirty years.

As Sri Lanka embarks on its rapid and determined development drive, maintaining high quality urban spaces is an essential requirement. If the standards of our cities can be improved, and a better working environment as well as better facilities for families to spend their leisure time can be provided, the country will be able to draw in many more tourists, attract more foreign and local investment, and encourage more expatriates to return here.

It is with all of this in mind that the Government has taken a great deal of effort to improve the standards of Colombo, its suburbs, and other key cities around the country. Sri Lanka requires clean, green, liveable urban spaces that encourage a high quality of life. It is with a view to ensuring this that the Government has taken a variety of urban development initiatives over the past few years.

The creation of more public spaces for people to use and enjoy has been foremost amongst these undertakings. City parks and other recreational spaces have been renovated and greatly improved, including Independence Square, Water's Edge, the Nawala Wetland Park, the Viharamahadevi Park, and Thalawathugoda in the greater Colombo area.

Parks

It is vitally important from a social perspective as well as a public health perspective that good quality open spaces be available for people to exercise in and use for recreation.

The creation of these new parks has achieved that objective. Similarly, the renovation and repurposing of historic buildings such as the Dutch Hospital, the old Colombo Racecourse and the Former Auditor General's Building into centres for entertainment, dining and shopping has added much more vibrancy to life in Colombo. Similar projects are also taking place in other historic cities such as Galle.

That thousands of people now enjoy the new public open spaces and recreation facilities on a daily basis shows how greatly beneficial these projects have been to the public at large.

The development of roads in urban areas is another important recent undertaking. Efforts are being taken to improve the quality of the streets; the one way system in Colombo is being expanded to ease traffic flow, and common conduits are being introduced for utility services along the streets while drainage facilities have also been upgraded. The improvements made for the pavements are also significant.

The majority of masses use public transport and therefore, they require good quality pavements. Unfortunately, for many years, the emphasis given to this aspect of the streets was poor. Pavements did not exist along parts of some roads, and in others, they suffered from very poor quality, included broken paving and potholes.

Walls

Another important aspect of city development is beautification. During the thirty years of terror unleashed by the LTTE, the natural beauty of Colombo in particularly had become obscured by unsightly walls. Since the dawn of peace, the unnecessary walls in public places have been dismantled, opening up many of the city's architectural treasures and a lot of its greenery.

As a result of all these initiatives, Colombo today is one of the most beautiful major cities in South Asia. The urban development plans being drawn up for many of our other cities will ensure that they are all greatly improved in time to come. Already, a great deal of development has taken place in towns such as Galle, Matara and Nuwara Eliya and projects are underway in cities such as Kandy, Jaffna, Batticalao, Kurunegala, and Trincomalee.

As Sri Lanka looks towards the future, one of the most important aspects it needs to develop is the functionality of its cities.

Many countries around the world are increasingly embracing the smart city concept, which essentially uses technology to improve the efficiency and utility of urban spaces. It is the duty of one and all to protect the hard-earned peace and enjoy the rich dividends of peace. Of not for the political sagacity of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the right military strategies of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, one of these achievements would have been possible.