Massive infrastructure development in Matara

Irangika Range

During the four-year reign of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the development of the island’s economic and social infrastructure was expedited to a level that the country had never witnessed during the time of previous leaders. According to the Mahinda Chinthanaya, the development was not confined to a particular city or town, but covered the entire country emphasizing a balanced regional development is the key to success in a countries like Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, a number of new and large infrastructure projects such as ports, airports, roads, flyovers, power projects, water projects, economic zones, hotels, apartment developments, road and electricity infrastructure ,hospitals and schools are nearing completion at regional level.

Development in the Southern Province was lagging behind but it began to develop rapidly since President Mahinda Rajapaksa prioritized its development projects through his national policy, Mahinda Chintanaya. On this occasion,the Government has been able to implement the aspirations and objectives embodied in the Mahinda Chintana policies to facilitate the people living in Matara. In comparison to the other districts during this past four years, the rapid development activities in the Matara district has become a focal point in Sri Lanka.

Despite the global economic melt down, housing, tourism and infrastructure financing had seen a quantum leap in the fast four years in Matara. Apart from the state financing mainly in utility services, education, health and infrastructure, the private sector has contributed significantly to develop the industries in Matara.

Matara at a glance

Matara which is originally Mahathota is a district in Southern Province in Sri Lanka. The total population of the district is 803,999. Its area is 1,246 square kilometres and extends with gradual altitude level upto 1,158m from sea level at hilly region consisting of proud Sinharaja forest and attractive water falls. The district covers 1.96 percent of total extent of land of the island and 23.14 percent of Southern Province.

The Matara city is one of the largest cities in Sri Lanka situated on the Southern coast of Sri Lanka, 160 km away from Colombo. The district is surrounded by a scenic sea belt and full of natural beauty.

Matara district is bounded on the North by Kalawana Divisional Secretariat in Ratnapura district, South by the attractive sea belt, East by Divisional Secretariats named Okewela, Beliatte, Katuwana, Walasmulla and Tangalle in Hambantota district and West by Divisional secretariats named Habaraduwa, Imaduwa, Yakkalamulla,Thawalama and Neluwa.

Matara district consists of one Municipal Council in Matara, one Urban council in Weligama and 16 Divisional Secretariats including Matara, Thihagoda, Hakmana, Kirinda Puhulwella, Pasgoda, Mulatiyana, Kamburupitiya, Akuressa, Malimbada, Weligama, Devinuwara, Dickwella, Kotapola, Pitabeddara,Welipitiya and Athuraliya. It

houses 650 Grama Niladhari Divisions. There are seven election divisions of Deniyaya, Hakmana, Akuressa, Kamburupitiya, Devinuwara, Matara and Weligama.

The history

The history of Matara runs upto Ravana era and the author of the Mahawansa introduces this town with a great honour as the town of the high cast people and education centre of the wealth. It has been proved with archeological evidences that Matara is a area where governed by the tribe “Naga” before the arrival of Wijaya.

Historically people of Matara have enriched the Sinhala literature. Most famous intellects lived in the area are Kumaratunga Munidasa and Gajaman Nona. The ethnic majority of Matara is Sinhala, during 16th and 17th centuries Moors arrived into the area as traders from Arabia, and today their descendants coexist with Sinhalese peacefully as an ethnic minority.

Considering the community life in the Matara district the main sources of income of the people are fisheries industry and agriculture. A total number of 216,642 families live in 1,658 villages in the district. Of them 7,510 families are involved in the fisheries industry, 4,306 are in estates , and 6,373 families are tea smallholders. Meanwhile, there are 75,944 samurdhi beneficiary families in the district.

Since 2006 Matara a as a whole has experienced much progress in varied spheres. This has not been confined to one single area, but has reached even the remotest of all areas in the district.

Major development projects being implemented within the district

1. Matara-Kataragama railway line

2. Southern expressway

3.Gama Neguma-Jathika Saviya

4. Maga Neguma

5.Dickwella town development project

6. Ayurvedic hospital

7.Hakmana town development project

8.Economic Zone in Godagama

9.Hospital Complex in Godagama

Currently Matara district has got mega development projects, which will cost over Rs. one billion. Of it, Rs. 3,400 million for a Hospital Complex in Matara, Rs. 35 million for a market complex in Kotuwegoda, Matara, Rs. 210 million for Dickwella town development, Rs. 110 million for Ayurvedic hospital and the library for Dickwella, Rs. 250 million for Hakmana town development, Rs. 3024 million for Economic Zone in Godagama, Matara and Rs. 500 millions for Matara Municipal Council area development. Some projects have already been completed.

Highway projects, roads, administrative units, auditoriums, water supply projects are taking place in the Matara district. In the Matara District, a major road network has already completed.

The development of 100 specially selected very backward and difficult villages and four satellite towns of Matara will complete the accelerated Southern Province Rural Economic Advancement Project (SPREAP) in Matara. The five satellite towns which will be subjected to an accelerated development in the next two years are Matara, Dikwella, Hakmana, Deniyaya and Kamburupitiya. There will also be 15 water supply projects at a cost of Rs. 3.3 billion to provide drinking water to 300,000 people.

The Government has taken steps to fulfill electricity requirements of Matara District speedily. Currently 103 power projects have been implemented in the district. The government has allocated 30 million rupees for these projects.

All satellite towns will get a new public market, play ground, water and drainage and sanitation system and SLTB and private bus parks in addition to Pradeshiya Sabha, sports complex and Divisional Secretariat buildings.

Hakmana in Matara District was a neglected area during the past. However with this direct intervention of the Government, Hakmana today is moved into a new era.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently opened the new playground, Post Office, Police Station and the Pradeshiya Sabha building and a public fair comprising 420 stalls at a cost of Rs. 40 million which was a part of the dawn of a new era to Hakmana.

The development of Hakmana into a fully-fledged township provides its people with vital facilities - Weekly Fair Complex, Modern Bus Stand, two-storeyed Commercial Centre, Sports Complex, Children’s Parks, and such other infrastructure facilities,

Irrigation schemes such as Uyan Oya tank and Denagama tank are projected to rehabilitate. Denagama tank which supplies water to a large number of farmers is to be renovated with a cost amounting to Rs. 700 million.

The largest development in Hakmana can be attributed as the progress made in the road network. Almost all the rural gravel roads have been concreted.

The roads leading to Hakmana from Matara, Beliatta, Mulatiyana, Walasmulla have been carpeted. The cost for renovating these roads Rs. 226.3 million. In addition Rs. 65 million had been spent to renovate Deragama-Mulatiyana road and roads leading to Mee Ella, Hakula and Gamvaduwa.

Hakmana community had for 40 years used polluted water. A water scheme is to be implemented spending Rs. 383 million to provide drinking water to the community.

In order to deal with the developing projects, a new building for the Divisional Secretariat and for the Police Station have been constructed spending Rs. 554 million.

Another high point of the Matara Development programme is the construction of the ‘Godagama Economic zone’ with the financial disbursement of Rs. 3,024 million with the emphasis on fisheries and agro - based industries. It will have cold storage facilities for fisheries and agro – based products.

Railway sector

The construction work of the Colombo -Kataragama railway track, which is another significant project was confined to only words for over 20 years has commenced. The first phase of this project is nearing completion. A sum of Rs. 6.1 billion has been allocated for the project.

Colombo–Matara rail track will get a two line track under the Southern railway line development project. The Government allocated Rs. 3,800 million for the project. The two-phase development project of the Colombo-Matara railway track will cost Rs. 19 billion. In the first phase, the existing track will be refurbished and selected railway stations at Panadura, Kalutara, Galle and Matara are to be developed. The Colombo – Matara railway track which is a single line from Kalutara will be upgraded as a double line from Kalutara at the second phase.

Southern expressway

Sri Lanka’s first expressway, the Colombo-Matara expressway project, caught up in delays since 1999, is being constructed to international standards and due for completion in mid 2011. The Southern Expressway which is on track would also give the Southern province another economic boost as it would cut the travel time to Colombo by over three hours.

Health sector

The President believes that health is wealth and with this in mind the construction of the biggest Hospital of the Southern province too has commenced with Korean Government aid in Godagama.

This 1,500 bed hospital is a Rs. 6.1 billion project, with the Korean government funding Rs. 560 million. Rs. 300 million has already been invested and this is expected to be completed in several months.

Hospital in Naravelpita in Matara will be modernized as a regional hospital in this year. Meanwhile, 40 percent of work on the new hospital at Kotawila is nearing completion.

“This move would provide curative, preventive and promotional care to the people in Matara district in acceptable quality efficiently and effectively to their utmost satisfaction using available resources provided by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry. The Matara district will be developed under the Southern Province Rural Economic Advancement Project (SPREAP).

The SPREAP is to improve the living condition of people of Matara district which was badly affected by tsunami. This move has restored basic social and physical infrastructure which will result in accelerating the economic growth of the province.

A package of incentives and facilities are on the card for private sector investment in agriculture, tourism, fisheries and IT related enterprises to create a conducive environment for sustainable development.

Under 243 projects so far implemented by SPREAP, 384 kilometers of roads, improvement of six public fairs and five tsunami damaged bridges have been completed with a total cost of one billion rupees in the Matara district alone.

Over Rs. 15 billion has already been spent on development projects carried out in Matara town in the last three years. The major projects completed are: Mahanama bridge - Rs. 700 million, Development of Pigeon Island – Rs. 42 million, Beach Garden – Rs. 32 million, Mahanama Girls School development – Rs. 110 million, Construction of Railway Bridge – Rs. 272 million and development of Matara Servatius College Rs. 150 million.

A hostel for male undergrads of the Ruhuna University has been constructed at Wellamadama at a cost of Rs. 116 million.

The Government has targeted to provide electricity and drinking water to the entire population in Matara by 2012. Some 93 rural electricity projects and 68 rural water supply projects have been launched and nearing completion to meet the target.

The electricity supply to the district has increased by 7.4 percent in the last four years alone as a result of 96 rural and medium scale electricity supply schemes.

The ‘Livelihood Development Programme’ is highly popular among the rural families where 13,894 schemes in 1,029 villages had been implemented from 2007. The significance of the SPREAP is that each and every family has been covered by one or more income enhancement and poverty alleviation project.

The subsidized fertilizer scheme, restoration of almost all the tanks and anicuts, improvement of irrigation systems have contributed to double the paddy production by Yala season in2009 and thereby the income. The lowest prize of a kilo of paddy has not fallen down below Rs. 30 this year.

The Government has taken immediate steps not only to rehabilitate the existing tanks but also to construct new tanks to facilitate the farmer community in the area.

The Nilwala river which the third longest river in Sri Lanka irrigates a lot of landscape along its way from Deniyaya. Tea, rubber and paddy cultivation are the main crops which are irrigated by this river.

The river Nilwala has fertilized the whole area where one can see the stretch of paddy fields and tea estates with plantation of spices also taking an important place.

In addition, the Southern Development Authority (SDA) has initiated a number of programs to uplift the livelihoods of the people living in Matara. The Wide scope of responsibilities assigned to the SDA includes national development, alleviation of poverty, and keeping up the life standard of the public. During past 4 years this objectives of the SDA has been successfully completed and a number of on-going projects on the card in the Matara district.

During the past 12 years of existence, the SDA has implemented its development activities in using various approaches. Several projects pertaining to medium scale industries, small scale infrastructure development and employment generation encouraging private sector investments have been implemented in the project area. Action was initiated in 2007 to implement Jathika Saviya Gama Neguma Program in the selected Grama Niladhari Division in the region. Accordingly, 47 Wasams in the districts of Matara, were selected for the implementation of several development projects on priority basis which includes 20 km of roads, houses for low income groups, sanitary programs and model home gardens.

Further, youths were trained in the fields of heavy vehicle driving, three- wheeler driving, nursing, hotel industry and sewing. Fifty percent of them are gainfully employed.

Gama Neguma

The Development activities in the Matara district did not commence overnight. Speedy development is now taking place under the Gama Neguma and Maga Neguma national programs and one should view its results without prejudices, free from petty political agendas.

The difficult task of providing infrastructure facilities, constructing new roads and renovating the existing roads, building new tanks and renovating the existing tanks and various other community-based development ventures commenced from the very first date of ‘Mahinda Chintana’ policies were launched.

In order to provide solutions to the water problems, a number of Irrigation projects have commenced while rehabilitating the dilapidated tanks. Apart from developing other sectors such as industries,today the gloomy picture of Matara has faded away. Dilapidated roads with potholes have been converted to widened and carpeted roads. In addition under the Maga Naguma program, all roads in the Matara district are being redone while new roads with concrete too are being built.

The unemployment has minimized in the district. The Vocational and Technical Training Ministry has taken steps during the past four years to open Vocational Training Institutes for the youth in the Matara district who had failed to continue their higher studies. The technical colleges in Matara, was modernized to suit the present requirements.

Vocational Training Institute had been opened, in Matara and amalgamated to Mirijjawila Vocational Training Centre had also been set up. During the academic year 2007/2008, 1,150 youth in Matara District had been successfully trained making them qualified to obtain employment in relevant fields.

Archaeological and Tourism values

Matara is full of natural scenic beauty, which is an attraction to the tourists. The coastal belt in the province is a major tourist attractive site and the Tourism Ministry has identified a large number of tourist destinations to be improved.

Agrabodhi Vihara of Weligama as a construction made in the period of Devanam Piyathissa were mentioned in ancient documents. Further Hathbodhiwatte and Matara Bodhi situated in the Matara city was a construction done in the period of king Kumaradasa. According to above mentioned facts Matara district possesses a very proud history. Matara was ruled by Sinhala kings for thousands of years and this is evident by the ancient temples and shrines built by them such as temples in Dondra (Devinuwara) and Weherahena. The temple in the middle of the town is also built by ancient kings and now it is a very popular sacred place among the local and international devotees.

The popular Light house in point Dondra and two fortresses built by Portuguese and Dutch are popular tourist destinations in the city.

Apart from this, the reef at Polhena which is about two kms from the city is another resort where tourists are attracted. The river Nilwala which runs through the city falls into the sea at Totamuna, which is also a part of the city. The Crow Island is a small island facing the beach and it is a spectacular sight with its greenery.