Revamping common amenities in settlements:

CMC in full throttle

by Ranil WIJAYAPALA

Sri Sivananda Mawatha, Kotahena - Chief City Administrator, Omar Kamil in discussion with his officials

Taking a walk through a poorly maintained settlement the city of Colombo, is a chilling experience. For over 250,000 people resident in these settlements, known as wattas , this nightmare is a regular feature in their day-to-day lives.

They are accustomed to this way of life and can be overcome only if the authorities frequently attend to the needs of these underserved settlements.

Sixty-seven-year-old Ariyawathie, who resides along Sri Sivananda Street, Kotahena says that the existing public toilets and bathrooms which served for more than three decades had not been touched for years.

With the population growing in these settlements, the requirement for toilets and bathrooms is on the increase and the possibility for construction of private toilets and bathrooms is remote due to lack of space available in these settlements.

But the Colombo Municipal Council which now operates under the supervision of Chief City Administrator, Omar Kamil, things have changed with a better understanding of the situation that had initiated an accelerated program to improve the basic services.

Priority basis

With the blessings and guidance of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the CMC has initiated this program on a priority basis after the successful completion of the 100-day program to improve the garbage disposal system, dengue control program and the a traffic flow improvement system.

The program had benefitted people such as Ariyawathie and thousands of others who totally depend on public toilets.

The CMC Engineer Department has decided to replace the existing public toilet with a new one fulfilling a long-felt requirement of these people.

The CMC was not the only body responsible for this program.

The renovated section of the toilets

A tenement apartment block in Kotahena

The National Housing Development Authority, Ports Authority, Urban Development Authority, Railway Department and a few other State and private sector agencies should take the credit for the improvement in facilities in these settlements.

"The Colombo Municipal Council and other authorities have identified 1,492 settlements within the Colombo city limits and have selected 354 such settlements for immediate improvement of basic facilities", Omar Kamil said while on an inspection of the progress in the Kotahena area.

CMC estimates

According to him 69 settlements in Colombo North, 74 in Colombo Central- A, 95 in Colombo Central B, 52 in Borella, 25 in Colombo East and 39 in Colombo West were earmarked for the accelerated program which was launched on February 21.

"The State agencies agree to provide funds for the CMC as they need more manpower to implement the program", he added.

According to CMC estimates Rs. 35.97 million has been allocated for the program to improve the public toilets, bathrooms, drains, water supplies, lighting for public areas and clearing of roads.

"Our aim is to improve the hygiene of the people living in these settlements after attending to their basic needs of these people", Kamil says.

During his inspection tour in and around the Kotahena area in the first week of March he observed that work was going on according to schedule.

"At some places like Sivananda Mawatha, Kotahena we had to demolish the old toilets and bathrooms and put up new ones as they were beyond repair", Kamil added.

"The program is important because more than 50 percent of the city population estimated to be over 250,000, are living in these settlements", Kamil added.

The Chief Engineer's Department of the CMC has undertaken the entire project and selected each and every toilet, bathroom and other water outlets which were in need of immediate repairs and replacement.

During the first week of the program 76 and toilets, 23 bathrooms were repaired after fitting them with new roofs, quoting toilets, water taps, and lights.

The CMC is also taking the initiative to develop the societies in each settlement to get their community assistance to maintain hygienic conditions.Swarnamalee who lives in Gunananda Mawatha, Kotahena voluntarily came forward to establish such a society for their settlement which comprised 23 dwellings.

"We are happy to extend our cooperation for the city administration if they fulfil our needs", Swarnamali says she had a discussion with the Municipal authorities.

The Public Health Department is expected to coordinate the program with people of the area.

"With the establishment of these development societies we will be able to coordinate the process of maintaining these facilities as we will empower the societies to inform us whenever the facilities need repairs", Kamil added.

Therefore a concerted program is now in place for the improvement and maintenance of basic facilities in these settlements, giving hope for better living conditions for them.