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 Beira Lake |
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 Diyatha Uyana in Battaramulla |
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. |