Colombo now, clean and beautiful

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

Colpetty gets a new look

Well-maintained kerbs, an added attraction

The Colombo city is turning out to be one of the cleanest and beautiful cities in the subcontinent, under an accelerated program launched by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) on a directive by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and closely supervised by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. More roads in the metropolis have been lined-up for development to give the capital an appealing look!

Pedestrians and motorists who had bad experiences earlier, with badly pave roads with nets between Kollupitiya and Bambalapitiya areas, can now enjoy a hassle free walk from Kollupitiya to Bambalapitiya as the roads in these areas have undergone rapid development.

The uni flow traffic system has also immensely helped to improve traffic flow in the area, reducing congestion along the road and giving look of a western city.

While CMC engineers were giving the finishing touches to the development of Galle Road between Bambalapitiya and Kollupitiya. Bloemendhal Road located in the commercial area in Colombo North, is also being converted into a well constructed road.

Omar Kamil who is still handling the affairs of the CMC as the Special Commissioner said that the CMC decided to start the development of Bloemendhal Road as it was an important road in the city.

Bloemendhal Road which starts from Armour Street junction and extends upto Modera passing Wasala Road and is used by a large number of vehicles going out of Colombo city. Many container trucks using this road in preference to the road adjoining Ceylon Tobacco avoiding huge traffic congestion.

"The CMC decided to renovate this road about a year back. It is the usual practice to inform other agencies like the Water Board, and Telecom to minimise damages to the road in the event they have to lay lines. In this connection the Water Board informed that they were going to lay a new water line. So we had to hold back the construction of the road until the Water Board completed the laying of water lines," explaining the background of the project Omar Kamil said.

The CMC has commenced the renovation of the road as the Water Supply and Drainage Board completed the laying of water lines two months ago.

"Earlier we began renovation of Bloemendhal Road from Armour Street to Arthur Silva junction close to the Sugathadasa Stadium during IIFA. Now we are completing the rest of the work," he added.

We have carpeted the road upto Wasala Road and the rest is now being carpeted. The laying of drainage, storm water lines and street lamps has to be done to complete renovation of the road," he added.

Work still in progress

"Once this road is completed it will be a well-constructed road to facilitating the traffic. Renovation of this road is expected to be complete in four and a half months, Kamil added.

He said development of Bloemendhal Road is a part of the development of roads in the commercial areas in the city, like the Galle Road development project. "Bloemendhal Road is a commercial area, although there are no major commercial establishments along this road. This road is a feeder road which takes traffic from other roads to Colombo North," he added.

He said the CMC is spending nearly Rs. 100 million for the project using direct CMC labour.

According to the Special Commissioner, Dematagoda Road has been included in the list of roads that are to be renovated under this program.

CMC officials headed by Deputy Commissioner Engineering, Vishaka Dias, Senior Engineer Gunasekera, Drainage and Works Engineer, Guruge did a survey to begin an accelerated program to resurface Dematagoda Road, Maradana junction and Baseline Road.

The survey revealed that non-availability of storm water lines along the road was one of the main reasons that the road has been damaged.

"Apart from that we found that many houses have been constructed over these storm water lines covering them. We have to then ask residents to remove unauthorised structures to resurface the road. We are hoping to issue notices to residents soon," Kamil added.

"We are requesting residents to extend their cooperation in this regard to facilitate road development work as they would be the direct beneficiaries of the project as it would enhance the value of their properties," he added.

Kamil said the Engineering Department of the CMC is expecting to complete the project under three phases, first from Maradana Junction to Reservoir road, the second phase from Reservoir Road to Siri Dhamma Mawatha and the third phase from Siri Dhamma Mawatha to Baseline Road.

He said that the construction of the Galle Road from Kollupitiya to Bambalapitiya is 95 percent complete and there was a little more of the footwalk to be completed.

"Landscaping is also nearing completion, once the roundabout near the Kollupitiya junction is completed by a private company which has undertaken the responsibility of designing it. Hopefully we are expecting it would be completed in the next two weeks," he added. Kamil said it was the Municipal Engineers Department headed by Mrs. Vishaka Dias, Director Works, Engineer Guruge, Drainage Division, Traffic Division Nihal Wickremaratne and Director Land Lalith Wickremaratne, who were involved in the project.

"We are hoping to develop more roads in the city to make Colombo city, one of the best cities in Asia," he added.