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| Friday, 20 February 2004 |
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Kurunegala - from Rice Bowl to Dust Bowl by Afreeha Jawad
Concrete slabs standing tall offer a cold welcome to any visitor into Kurunegala town. This once cosy, well-knit, small geographical entity, neatly laid out against the panoramic view of the historic Athugala (elephant rock), has now been robbed of its aesthetic setting. This ancient nature's edifice once visible from wherever one stood in this little town is now relatively out of sight. Should other intended structures be completed, regrettably its present limitedly available visibility will be no more. Talking to many of its long standing residents, one instantly realizes their fixed sentiments over the town that was. "We don't need this massive shopping mall. We have lived without such things all our lives," said one. "Certainly the town is now looking horrible. It's all a concrete enclave. We want the town to be what it was," said another. But then all that is wishful thinking, for whether they like it or not, living with forced deposits is their lot as they try every now and then to escape mental conflicts amid the large scale transformations in their surroundings. The carelessly planned bus stand according to many is more an eye sore. Standing tall adjacent to the huge shopping mall complex concrete slabs virtually greet one another as they sprawl across with their large spread - from one end to the other. The town reputed for its heat, earlier carried open spaces as heat defusing agents which are now no more. The prevailing hot weather is now made worse by man-made structures - for, townfolk believe the heat emanating from the concrete accentuates nature's dry offering - which belief bona fide this writer experienced as she stood at the entrance to one of Kurunegala town's oldest health undertakings - the New Pharmacy. To the dingy building it once was the pharmacy has not 'fallen short' of the town's march to modernity. Branches of almost all businesses in Colombo - you name it - it's all there - Food City, Perera and Sons, State Trading Corporation, Arpico - just to name a few. A noteworthy and welcome feature is the intended underground subway - a panacea to the unending human traffic - conflict in town - hopefully an end to many road accidents. Regrettably, the Kurunegala tank is relieved of its resplendency. The Ranthaliya restaurant overlooking its cool, blue waters - seemingly a preferred geographical choice for tourist attraction has missed out on its intent. A heavily silted Wewa was to be helped off its burden. Heavy machinery has been used for quite some time to assist in this cleaning up with so many lakhs being spent but of no avail. Deprived of its waters, the wewa looks one sprawling mass of desert with the exception of some trees akin to Jam grown wild here and there. If Galle Face quenched the recreational thirst of Colombo's residents, this wewa rendered similar service to those in and around Kurunegala. Many families were seen spending their leisure hours here seated atop the numerous mini rocks surrounding the picturesque wewa. This wewa until of late never failed to capture the minds of one and all - be they the indigenous folk or external entrants. Wonder which artist has its reproduction in his/her library and perhaps would perform better in churning out its present fallen state. Geographers view the heavy machinery used for desilting when going beyond pan level, would even damage water sources which is why a more cautious approach is recommended if at all the project is to be a success. However, bringing back this nature's marvel to what it was is itself most doubtful as this writer learnt of the several hiccups likely to occur in the renovation process among which are the positive use of allocated funds running into lakhs. Among the many plunderings of nature's bounties are the disruption of Kurunegala's interior landscapes bringing to mind how everything in the world was fine until man meddled with it. The large scale 'land development' manoeuvrings to accommodate housing projects and industrial parks plunged Kurunegala into flash floods sometime back - most unheard of in this geographically elevated part of the country. A 'famous' property sales group's banners now replaced by yet another if one may call it so, 'enterprising' sales institution, is currently making headway in land clearance in a desperate bid to pecuniary gain. On the Kurunegala/Dambulla road at the Muththetugala turn off, a vast acreage is being hurriedly cleared - a part of which is already occupied by Mudalali's for storehouses.
In Makandura, also in Kurunegala, the setting up of an industrial park has instigated residents into strikes and protests. The project itself is now at a standstill. Hopefully an extension of such public vent would keep those infamous 'property developers' at bay. Property ruin and wallet development goes in tandem. This particular 'real estate' group is also active even in Kurunegala's interior localities wherever there is power supply. So next to Ratnapura, large scale floods and landslides will be Kurunegala's legacy if man's avarice goes unchecked and uncontrolled. Currently the area is at the initial stages of a long drought - some say even as long as two years. Water levels in wells and rivers are receding. The absence of crows in my 'hybernating' area was most conspicuous - something that caught my mother's attention. Are they in search of water? May be many have died. Much of the grass has turned brown or fast losing colour. Will the rains come and if so when? For an agrarian community whose livelihood depends on the sky's delivery the importance of timely rain goes without saying. If governments have ratified international conventions, securing the socio/economic and cultural rights of their people, it is also their duty to extend the limits of those treaty papers into the realms of action, assuring the people the best for it is only upon implementation of such that any government could truly prove its credibility before the people. To this end the preservation of aesthetic sights, leisure areas, the environment and the well-being of all land is the responsibility of the State. Public wrath must be faced when the State engine fails. |
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