RDA calls the residents idiots!

Baseline Road southern extension

This article is in reply to an article which appeared in the "Sunday Observer" of 1.6.2007 and 1.7.2007 authored by Dr. Asoka de Silva, former Director of RDA titled "Baseline Road third Phase" which gives a wrong picture to the readers, according to the Society of Affected persons due to the Southern Extension of the Baseline Road Project.

The Co-chairmen of the Society, Sarath Jayatilaka and Chandrasena Nanayakkara, present their case in the following article:-

The former Director of the Road Development Authority (RDA) Dr. Asoka de Silva who is now residing in Canada published two articles on the "Baseline Road, Third Phase" in Sunday Observer on 1st July and 24 June 2007. In these two articles the former Director has suppressed some very important points which has resulted in the agitation of the people affected. Therefore the committee the Society of Affected Persons due to the third phase of the Baseline Road decided to make the public aware the plight of the affected innocent persons.

For over ten years this Society which has a membership of the affected persons from Kirullopone, Kohuwala, Kalubowila, Nadimala, Attidiya and Ratmalana has been making representations to the RDA, Ministry of Highways and the Ministers of Highways from time to time about the manner in which the RDA was trying to implement this project. During this period neither the Committee nor the members have so far publicly demonstrated against the unfair manner in which RDA was trying to implement the project. However since the articles by the former Director misleads the public, the Society is compelled to resort to means will make the public aware of the true picture.

We are not against development but any development should look at the people who are getting affected. So for over 10 years, RDA has not come forward on any re-settlement plan for the displaced persons.

The feasibility report for the Baseline Road Project was undertaken by International Consulting Company known as Atkins as far as in 1991. In Chapter 12 para 12.2 of this report it is said that "Will generate considerable economic benefits as, indeed will an extension to the south connecting the road directly to Galle Road and in effect completing a North-South by pass of Colombo". This shows the original intension was to have a link road of a North-South connection by passing Colombo city. However with the Matara-Colombo Highway and Outer Circular Road from Waskaduwa to Kottawa has reduced the traffic of North-South connection since most people who want to go to the south will take these two roads.

The Road Development Authority was implementing the project in three stages. The first two stages were dealing with the Baseline Road as an extension of the existing Baseline Road or a road-widening where the street lines existed for a very long period of time. Hence RDA did not have much resistance from the people

However the Phase 3 of the project is a completely a new trace and the proposal for this new trace goes through highly populated areas. This new road is almost a straight line drawn from Kirullopone to Bakeriya Junction in Ratmalana which will have serious implications socially, since many households and business establishments will be destroyed. No resident in a developed city would ever dream of a straight line road to cut across such a large number of houses. The RDA report themselves have estimated the number of affected households to exceed 500 households.

Further the RDA is trying to implement a road the same width of six lanes in spite the new developments and also ignoring the recommendation of the Atkin's Report. (only 2 lanes have been recommended at Ratmalana end). In other words the RDA wishes to have the same road width as Narahenpita, Dematagoda in Attidiya also.

When the citizens requested for an EIA to be done for the project the RDA officials made endorsement of our request letter that "cannot help if these idiots have no I.Q to grasp the facts." However later RDA had to undertake an EIA study to fulfil the undertaking on a court case (quoted from Dr. de Silva's article itself).

Mr. A. H. M. Fowzie, the then Highways Minister, realising the problems faced by the people appointed a committee with most Venerable Bellanwila Wimalaratane Thera who is one of the most respected clergy of the areas as the chairman to see ways and means to reduce the environmental effects and damage to the public. He appointed the Major of Dehiwala - Mt. Lavinia as the Secretary to the committee. The other members of the committee were Chairman of RDA and two other senior members of the RDA, two councillors from the Municipality, and six citizens.

The Major of the Dehiwala - Mt. Lavinia Municipality who was the Secretary to the Committee summoned the members of the committee for several meetings either at the Municipality or at the Bellanwila Raja Maha Vihare Temple. However the members who were appointed from the RDA did not attend the meetings.

The main recommendation by the committee was to develop the Papiliyana - Ratmalana road. We are happy to say that this road has now been expanded and there is no traffic blocks on this road. Hence we do not see requirement to displace 500 people and construct another road. Mr. Fowzie who travelled through the proposed road said, that as long as he is the Minister of Highways he would not allow this proposal, at a public meeting in Dehiwala.

EIA study was then done by RDA and CEA approved the EIA with many conditions. It says that RDA should initiate a consultative dialogue with the persons to be affected with immediate effect and discuss the reallocation program and the compensation package; so far the RDA has had no meeting with the committee which is representing the people (two and half years have gone now)

When the incumbent President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Minister of Highways and Prime Minister, he gave the committee an opportunity to meet him. Since at this meeting RDA did not have any plan for the reallocation of the affected nor a compensation package he instructed that the RDA hold a dialogue with the affected persons and try to have a reallocation and compensation package so that the affected persons will have an equal or better deal due to the project.

However it is very sad that not a single meeting was held by RDA to discuss the alternate resettlement plan to our committee which was officially representing the people for the last 12 years and had communications for last 12 years with RDA, Ministry and the Ministers of Highway.

On 19th June 2006, the RDA summoned a few (about 30) of the affected persons who were in agreement for the land acquisition to meet Jeyaraj Fernandopulle the new Minister of Highways, discuss the compensation package, Fortunately few of these invited persons made representations to our committee about this meeting. It was then decided that two representatives of the committee should attend the meeting although not invited. We made a strong protest why only about 30 have been called for the meeting when over 500 families were affected. Mr. Fernandopulle immediately cancelled the meeting and instructed that RDA sends out registered letters of invitations to all (over 500) persons.

Although the Dr. Silva's article informs the public that only few are opposing the project it was very clear at the last meeting summoned by Mr. Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, there were more than 90% present of the large gathering opposed the project with the show of their hands.

RDA then sent out a questionnaire which was very strange. When we wrote under registered cover and by fax inquiring about the validity of the main question RDA did not reply. Even for the reminder sent under registered cover there was no reply. We citizens have nowhere to go, this is the real situation.

One of main issues we have been highlighting is that the new proposal is that the proposal divides the Air Force base into two which has been suppressed in the article. The quarters of the personnel will get demolished. Furthermore this is a high security target. The road is even now closed daily from 10.00 pm to 5.00 am. and on some days during the whole day. Few weeks ago it was closed for about a week. Do we want to have a new road adjoining a high security area?

RDA has discussed neither any resettlement plans for the affected nor the compensation package with people. There is no land available in the area since it is a very highly developed area. The people should be given land equal or better than where they are living now. People are worried what is going to happen to them. The people have been made to suffer for the last 15 years without knowing what was going to happen to them.

The mental strain one has undergone cannot be valued. Does any consideration have been given on the social cost? Some people have fallen ill some have died of the impending disaster. After 15 years of agony still RDA is unable tell what is going to happen to us. The Government made a policy on involuntary resettlement but we feel they are only good documents, they are not been implemented on ground.

We need good roads but we also need to think of the people who will be affected and the social costs. This is a straight line road cutting across many houses in a very developed area. We need to look at this project in totality and see the consequences and see the environment damage it would be causing. The people are suffering for the last 15 years without knowing what was in store for them and their future. This is really a mental agony.