Colombo HC building to be reconstructed soon

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Justice and Law Reforms Ministry Secretary Suhada Gamlath yesterday said a steering Committee is to be appointed immediately to take measures to reconstruct part of the Colombo High Court Building at Hulftsdorp which collapsed on Thursday night while repair and improvements to the roof were in progress.

The Colombo High Court building which was built during the Dutch regime and is of invaluable archaeological value, consisted of seven Court Houses and offices of the Colombo High Court.

A part of nearly 30 metre extension of one of the two verandas on either sides of the High Court Building collapsed along with nearly 20 foot tall six pillars. A pillar has a diameter of nearly seven feet.

Gamlath said the incident was unfortunate since he was discussing with the Ambassador of Netherlands in Sri Lanka Pamela J. Deen to identify this building as a National Heritage and conserve it with Dutch funds.

Gamlath assured that the building would be restored to its previous state under the instructions of Professor Jayasinghe of the Moratuwa University. As an immediate step, a team of experts visited the site yesterday.

A complete report on this building and its collapse is to be submitted by the team within 14 days. It would also include the manner how it should be restored.

The job of repair and improvement of the roof of the High Court building had been assigned to the Department of Buildings by the Justice Ministry.

The Director Engineering of the Department of Buildings A. Jayakody told the Daily News that the job was assigned to Calix Builders of Kelaniya. The value of the repair was Rs 2 million.

Professor P.B.R. Dissanayake of the Civil Department of the University of Peradeniya who visited the site with Dr Sujeewa Lewangama of the University of Moratuwa said it seemed the connection between the building and the pillars had been removed and the Veranda and its pillars were exposed to monsoonal showers.

It also seemed as a result of a vibration caused by a hard impact, the part of the building had collapsed. It was obvious that the persons who undertook the job had not made a proper investigation about the building.

A Security Officer of the Courts Complex, an eye-witness to the collapse, on condition of anonymity said the workers were working even at night with flash lights at the time of the collapse. He said the massive pillars started to collapse one by one like scenes from a Hollywood film.

He said the roofing sheets of the verandas on either sides of the building were removed nearly a week ago and that parts were open to the sun and rain till one part of it collapsed.

Colombo High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundara said the High Court functioned in three Court Houses though four court houses were damaged. The work in the High Court would function as usual by working in the morning and evening in the remaining three Court Houses.

Registrar N.Padmini said the High Court at Welikada would be shifted to the Colombo High Court Complex on Tuesday.