Port City to re-start after environmental clearance

by Ranil Wijayapala

The Coast Conservation Department(CCD) will appoint a Technical Committee to approve the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Report for the Colombo Port City project in ten days, when it receives a clarification on public comments from the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Region Development, an official of the Department told the Sunday Observer.

Director, Coast Conservation and Coastal Resources Management Gamini Hewage said nearly 120 public comments were received and forwarded to the Ministry.

The Urban Development Authority is handling the project. He said most of the public comments were of a similar nature and there were around 15 issues.

“People have raised concern about the impact on fisheries and sand mining for the project”, Hewage said.

The CCD will appoint a Technical Committee to approve the EIA report when the Ministry and UDA clarify the issues raised by the people.

“Depending on the clarifications given by the Ministry it will give clearance for the project”, Hewage said.

Secretary, of the Ministry Nihal Rupasinghe was perusing around 100 public comments on issues raised by the public.

“We will complete the process in ten days and submit them back to the CCD for approval,” he said.

They were in touch with the Chinese investor in this regard and negotiations were now under way to restart the Port City project.

The $1.4 billion port city project, a direct investment by China Communication and Construction Company was suspended in January last year pending a government decision whether to go ahead with the project or not. The present Government gave its approval on condition that it gets proper environmental clearance and were renegotiating the conditions in the agreement signed between the Government and the Chinese investor.

The Government indicated last week that the project will re-start next month.