World Habitat Day 2009:

Focus on islandwide development

The Government will implement an islandwide development program centralising Negombo town and its surrounding areas in view of ‘World Habitat Day’ on October 5 under the theme ‘Planning our Urban Future’.

The Housing and Common Amenities Ministry and the Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Ministry have planned to implement the Greater Negombo Development Program to develop Negombo town and neighbouring areas covering Negombo, Katana, Katunayake and Seeduwa.

It was decided at a meeting at the Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Ministry headed by Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardene and Housing and Common Amenities Minister Ferial Ashraff to implement the Greater Negombo Development Plan.

The proposed Greater Negombo area covers 139 sq. Km. including administrative areas under the Negombo Municipal Council, Katunayake-Seeduwa Urban Council and Katana Provincial Council with a population of nearly 375,000.

The Greater Negombo Development Plan’s main objective is to implement various development programs to develop the tourist industry, fisheries industry as well as agriculture during the next 10 years.

Minister Gunawardene said the Greater Negombo Development area comprising the Negombo Municipal Council, Katunayake - Seeduwa Urban Council and Katana Provincial Council with various administrative powers, should work jointly to implement this development program more productively.

The local authority heads participating at this meeting agreed to implement a joint program to develop the Greater Negombo Development area.

Minister Ashraff said state institutions and local authorities should act together to achieve institutional goals participating in this development activities. She pointed out provincial political leadership and Government institutions should jointly work to achieve the objective of this program and make World Habitat Day theme a reality.

The Housing and Common Amenities Ministry and National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) have made arrangements to develop infrastructure facilities and develop settlements in Greater Negombo Development Program in parallel to the World Habitat Day Program.

According to this program, all housing schemes in Negombo, Katana and Seeduwa areas will be renovated. Activities involving schoolchildren of the area and art, essay, drama and speech competitions have been organized to create awareness on World Habitat Day.

Seminars and workshops in parallel to this development program too have been organized with the participation of Government officials and public representatives to create awareness among the people of the area.

The Raddoluwa Housing Scheme, consisting more than 2,000 houses is to be renovated as a special project under the World Habitat Day Program on the instructions of Minister Ashraff.

The NHDA said arrangements have been made to hold the World Habitat Day Conference and Exhibition at Negombo Town Hall premises on October 5, depicting all development activities under Greater Negombo Development Plan.