Colombo floods: Were the trunk channels at fault ?

Shirley Wijesinghe

COLOMBO: The condition of the main drain channel network of the Colombo City is adequate to drain the unexpected storm rainwater to the sea or reservation areas but the weak trunk channel system of the city is at fault, Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (LR&DC) General Manager Gemunu Alawaththegama told "Daily News" yesterday.

"If the Colombo Municipal Council seeks the assistance of the LR&DC to renovate the trunk channels system of the city, we will be ready for it. The LR&DC has successful completed the various projects on requests made by number of Local Bodies including Kurunegala, Matara, and Negombo," Alawaththegama said.

After taking over the maintenance of main channels from the Irrigation Department in 1979, a massive work load has been launched by LR&DC and some projects has yet to be completed. After the completion of remaining projects, the city's flood situation could be managed upto certain extent. A proper city trunk channel network is very important to protect the Colombo City from floods caused by unexpected storm rain water, he explained.

Some reservations for draining water from the city area have been decreased rapidly by encroachers.

We had a discussion with the Urban Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardane in connection with flood controlling measures, Alawaththegama said.

CMC Commissioner Dr. Jayantha Liyanage refuted Alawaththegama's statements saying that the main channels were at an adequate level. The LR&DC did not even reply the letters sent by the CMC on the above matters, Dr.Liyanage said. Meanwhile the "Daily News" inspected the place where a woman died after falling into the trunk channel at Wijerama Mawatha.

The residers in the vicinity said no protection fence had been erected by the CMC until the tragedy occurred. Soon after the accident CMC workers rushed to the place and erected a steel fabricated protection fence.