Infrastructure on the rise:

Major development projects in the offing

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The Government is committed to fulfill the aspirations of all shanty dwellers in the country by providing them with new houses and other infrastructure facilities including electricity by the year 2020, Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Dinesh Gunawardene said in an interview with the Sunday Observer.

He said although slum dwellers are living in all parts of the country, a record number of them live in urban areas.

"Therefore, priority is given to constructing new houses in urban areas. Thereafter, steps will be taken to construct houses in other parts of the country".

Minister Gunawardene said the Government will also take steps to construct houses for a large number of families who have resettled in Northern areas.

A program is under way to develop infrastructure facilities of major towns

The lack of pure drinking water is a drawback

Most slums are in urban areas

He said recent research had revealed that a large number of shanty dwellers in the country's coastal areas has been living in dilapidated shanties and slums and that the authorities have not focused much attention on them.

Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Dinesh Gunawardene

"It is the duty of my Ministry, even at this juncture, to look into their welfare and replace their wooden houses with those with cemented floors and either tiled or galvanised roofs,". Speaking on the program to develop sacred areas, conducted by his Ministry, Gunawardene said preserving historic places in a country is very important for the benefit of present and future generations.

"We have a lot of historic places in the country, including Northern areas, and steps have been taken to commence the development of such places and also to start excavation programs in the cultural triangle," he said.

He said during the past four years, his Ministry had spent massive amounts of funds to carry out excavation programs at historic places such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Dambulla and more excavation programs will be carried out within the next two years.

The Minister also outlined the work being carried out by the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC) which is under his Ministry and said six main canals were developed during the last three years.

"We have also taken a decision to develop small canals which are located in the rural sector with the help of the local authorities,".

Minister Gunawardene also highlighted the importance of stopping illegal land fillings by people for various purposes and said stern action will be taken against persons who filled lands without the permission of the SLLRDC.

He called upon people not to engage in illegal land fillings as well as sand mining since it would harm the environment.

When asked about the steps taken by the SLLRDC to set up schemes for providing water at many areas in the country, the Minister said several water supply projects have already been launched at many places in the country for the benefit of over four million people.

Water provision schemes

"We hope to start nearly 3000 large and small-scale water provision schemes within the next two years, especially in the dry zones, considering the pathetic situation of many people who are badly affected due to the lack of pure drinking water," he said.

The Minister also called upon the public to inform the authorities about the availability of water resources in their districts, so that the SLLRDC could conduct investigations in to the setting up of new water schemes.

Minister Gunawardene also said his Ministry has started a program to develop major towns by constructing new roads, administrative complexes and other buildings, markets, playgrounds, schools, hospitals and places of religious worship.

He said some of these town development programs are being conducted with Korean funds. Over Rs. 30 billion will be spent on these projects.