Systematic plan to develop Colombo city
Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA
The Colombo city will be developed according to a systematic plan.
The city beautification process will be carried out simultaneously,
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said.
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Defence Secretary Rajapaksa |
"Colombo will be a slum free city," he said at a panel discussion
yesterday.
"Colombo has the major administration facility. The strategy to
develop Colombo is important. We have identified certain areas for this
purpose where rapid development will take place," the Defence Secretary
said.
"The Government is faced with the challenge of relocating 75,000
families who are mainly occupying the most valuable land and
strategically vital canals in Colombo. We need to develop the city to
attract global investors and to make it a beautiful capital," he said.
Measures will be taken to relocate the slum dwellers in a place where
it is decent and with improved living standards. They will be given
space in condominiums which will be built shortly. The UDA high rise
building process will be fast tracked where it will build 30,000 housing
units by next year, he said.
The Defence Secretary said discussions are under way with foreign
partners to construct 4,500 housing units in Kolonnawa for low income
families. There are 800 acres of land occupied by people which will be
of better use as hotels and condominiums.
A feasible project will be implemented shortly to develop the Colombo
city to reach international standards, he said. With the execution of
the development plan, the flooding of the city too will be addressed.
Canals will be cleaned and will be used as water sport centres. Solid
waste management will also be regularised and streamlined to ensure
Colombo has a clean environment, he said.
"The high security zone will also he included in the development
plan. Buildings will be renovated. We are moving forward rapidly and
will make Colombo a greener city," he said. |
