Stem the rot at Local Bodies

Current events at the Colombo Municipal Council indicate that all is not well in the premier Local Body in the country.

The Colombo Municipal Council earns more revenue than some of the smaller Urban Councils combined and it is responsible for looking after a city with a permanent and transient population exceeding one million.

The CMC’s malaise, unfortunately, is not confined to it alone. Most local bodies around the island have failed to live up to the expectations of the ratepayers and residents as far as their obligations are concerned.

Colombo’s denizens face a multitude of problems, some of which have not been addressed by the CMC for years. Prime among them is the garbage problem. We have seen stinking heaps of garbage in some spots of Colombo.

Although two private firms are reportedly engaged in clearing garbage, the CMC cannot wash its hands off this responsibility.

The accumulation of garbage leads to many related problems including the proliferation of mosquito breeding sites.

The City is constantly facing dengue and chikungunya outbreaks as a result. Garbage also attracts stray cattle and dogs, posing a health risk to citizens. It tends to block drainage canals, which in turn leads to floods.

It was just a couple of months ago that two persons paid with their precious lives in Colombo’s floods.

It is true that there is an acute shortage of land for dumping garbage. New technologies including environment-friendly incinerators must be evaluated to address the garbage issue. They may be costly initially, but the long-term benefits far outweigh such monetary concerns.

Air, water and sound pollution are three other major concerns, though the local bodies alone cannot be held responsible.

The large vehicle population and the increasing pace of industrialisation even in rural regions, among other factors, have led to this scenario. Local Government institutions and the Government must work together to evolve solutions to these problems.

The mushrooming of unauthorised structures is another major problem hampering the free movement of people on roadways.

The failure of many Local Bodies to take any action in this regard has encouraged pavement vendors and others with vested interests to boldly expand their illegal structures.

Moreover, many roads under the purview of local bodies are in a pitiable condition.

Local Bodies are known to award lucrative contracts to various parties for road repairs, construction of buildings and other community projects. As events at the CMC exemplify, there is often little or no transparency in this process. This tends to leave room for corruption.

Local Bodies must be required by law to publish full details of their tenders and contracts in newspapers and the projects should be awarded to the right bidder through a transparent, accountable process thus leaving no room for underhand deals.

Another pertinent point is that local bodies must maintain a cordial working relationship with their respective Provincial Councils and indeed, with the Central Government through Members of Parliament.

One must not forget that tomorrow’s leaders often take the first step in a long political journey through the Pradeshiya Sabha or the Urban Council, the grassroots level political establishment.

Members of local bodies must cultivate a good rapport with the provincial councils. They must sing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to public welfare and development.

There could be divergent views and plans, but in the end they must work together for the betterment of the public. Political expediency must necessarily take a back seat to developmental imperatives.