Colombo city facelift continues for IIFA

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

Colombo Chief City Administrator Omar Kamil said despite the rain, work is continuing on giving a facelift to the Colombo city for the 11th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards.

Kamil told the Daily News that the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) had been called upon to beautify the environment and refurbish the roads.

Roads from the outer areas of the city leading to some of the main venues of the Videocon IIFA Weekend and Micromax IIFA Awards will be redeveloped, he said.

This includes the roads leading to the BMICH where the fashion extravaganza will take place, the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) where the T20 celebrity cricket match will be held on June 4 and the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium where the star-studded awards night will be held on June 5.

Road networks from Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake to hotels where the visitors will be residing will be improved. Additional lighting and landscaping are done. Around 70 percent of the groundwork is complete.

“The showers restricted our work to some extent. We had difficulties in exporting material from other areas but we have now solved the problem.

We are positive that we will be able to achieve our target on time,” Kamil noted.

Speaking about the CMC’s Vesak plans, Kamil said it is after three years that a Vesak program will be arranged by the team.

A Vesak lantern competition and a Bakthi Gee program will be held while a blood donation camp was held recently to commemorate the event.

“CMC is taking every step possible to celebrate Vesak. The Vihara Maha Devi park will be lit up for Vesak and will continue to be illuminated till the IIFA Awards. Around 50 million rupees has been set apart for road rehabilitation.

The IIFA brand will be placed in the streets and roundabouts along with lights and pennants. The road near the Public Library will be given a whole new look.

We hope to have a decorative foot walk, a cycle track running right round the park , a flower tuft, a decorative guard rail and an automatic pedestrian crossing,” he said.