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Call to restore Nuwara Eliya to former glory

by P. Rajaratnam in Nuwara Eliya

It is the fervent hope and prayer of every resident of Nuwara Eliya and others in the country that Nuwara Eliya, the only 'Health Sanatorium' of Sri Lanka and the holiday destination for foreigners will be developed by the new government under the stewardship of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who has right along been a visitor to Nuwara Eliya who had expressed his desire to develop it when he was the Prime Minister of this country earlier.

On March 3, 1994 when as Prime Minister he presided over a top level conference at Nuwara Eliya with late S. Thondaman, as Minister of Tourism and with other UDA officials he said that all steps should be taken to develop Nuwara Eliya as a major tourist attraction to cater to the needs of tourists both local and foreign.

At that conference Premier Wickremesinghe said that the city of Nuwara Eliya which is famous as health resort from time immemorial, has suffered during 1983, racial riots and thereafter it has continuously deteriorated. He said that there should be economic development.

It should be job oriented and meet the demands of the residents. He said that as a major exercise all including the private sector, hotels, industrialists, the banks and other agencies should co-operate with the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Urban Development, the local bodies and give their fullest support and unstinted co-operation towards achieving the goal. He pointed out that the monies should come from all sources including the private sector.

At the same time the Premier then said that the protection of all health and environmental aspects should be ensured. Since then this city had undergone several setbacks.

At the recent election campaign when the present PM addressed a public meeting he did not fail to mention of the development perspectives of this city known as the 'Little England'. He said that it should be developed from the present poor state of affairs.

The residents of this small and beautiful city feel that it has to be developed at all levels since the Prime Minister himself had spelled out in no uncertain terms that this town should be improved in the best of interest of the entire country.

At the recent election campaign in Nuwara Eliya the Prime Minister fully anticipating his Government coming into office wanted the leading hoteliers and other entrepreneurs to come in a big way by their collective participation by developing and maintaining certain points within the city. He regretted that one of the oldest landmarks of Nuwara Eliya the Ceylon Brewery Limited was closed down recently.

Nuwara Eliya could boast of attracting foreigners and affluent locals with Asia's best maintained golf links. The other major tourist attraction had been the trout fishing which is now a bygone sport, consequent to the various streams and rivulets running across the city and its suburbs drying up on account of the wanton destruction of forests in and around Nuwara Eliya.

The other annual paradox is the water problem in the city during the dry spell particularly during the April festivities. This situation continues inspite of the fact that the National Water Supply and Drainage Board which worked out a scheme in 1994 at a cost of 101 million which included the improvements to the existing systems and structures.

At the moment another new project has got off the ground with Japanese aid to further improve and develop the drinking water supplies for Nuwara Eliya.

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