Government flats nobody’s concern
It is hardly
surprising that a majority of dengue cases have been detected in
Government flats. These flats as is evident to anyone is in a
perennially neglected and unkempt state. The responsibility has
to be borne by both the State and the flat dwellers themselves.
It appears that the State’s responsibility ends with the
building of the flats. Their maintenance and upkeep it seems is
not its concern. This despite the regular payments made by these
flat dwellers to the Government. It is correct to state that the
authorities have by and large neglected these flats leaving the
tenants to their own devises after taking possession.
Today new structures have been built into these flats by some
of the dwellers that have caused the blockage of sewerage and
free flow of rainwater prompting Housing Minister Wimal
Weerawansa to order the demolition of these structures.
The congestion in these flats and the lack of proper
amenities have also made them fertile ground for the breeding of
diseases.
According to a news item in our inside pages yesterday the
highest number of dengue cases have been reported from ill
maintained Government flats in Colombo with uncleaned gutters
and downpipes. This despite the frenetic efforts of the CMC to
rid the city of the dengue threat. If only it had cleared the
foul environment surrounding these flats half of its battle
would have been won. Because most of these flats are a veritable
eyesore with garbage strewn entrances, muddy conditions and
heavy overgrowth creating a happy hunting ground for the dengue
mosquito. How these conditions escaped the eye of the CMC is a
mystery.
There is also vice such as the sale of drugs within the
confines of these flats which have become the regular hang outs
of undesirable and anti-social elements who threaten the peace
loving flat dwellers. The Government should consider
establishing a well-manned Police post in the vicinity of the
larger flats to combat this menace.
With the increasing congestion in the city of Colombo and
shrinking land space, Government flats started to mushroom at a
rapid pace catering largely to the lower, middle class segments
mostly comprising blue collar workers and their families.
A majority of them were able to obtain these flats by working
for politicians. Even today most of these flat dwellers in the
City are supporters of former Housing Ministers Pieter Keuneman
and President Premadasa. They also form a substantial bloc vote
for the party of such politicians. There was also a big demand
for these flats due chiefly to the convenience of being in
proximity to the schools and work places.
Be that as it may with the passage of time the flats went to
pot with neglect and nobody it seemed cared.
It appears that they are of nobody’s concern going by their
grimy facades, musty atmosphere and the general state of decay
and neglect. The occupants seem resigned to this state and do
not appear to be interested from what is evident.
With the city bursting at the seams compounded by the fresh
migrations from the North and East the Government will soon have
to face the challenge of proving housing in the city which is
already confronted with shrinking land space.
The expanding shanties in the city that are coming up at a
rapid pace mostly on State land is bound to further dwindle land
space. The Government has started a program to resettle shanty
dwellers in alternate sites by building flats.
Hopefully they too would not resemble the situation in the
existing flats in the city where the rot set in long ago
contributing not only to breeding of diseases such as dengue but
also being centres of vice and anti-social activity.
With plans afoot to make Colombo a model city the Government
should factor in the large army of flat dwellers. Ideally new
flats should be constructed or the present ones given a good
facelift and made pleasing to the eye. Apartment style dwellings
like in other countries would be the best solution.
Steps are also needed to uplift the conditions of the many
tenement schemes that dot the city landscape.
Today these schemes lack even some of the basic amenities
such as water and proper toilet facilities. They are also havens
for vice and criminal activities which naturally thrive under
conditions of congestion and poverty.
The authorities should ponder deep on how to tackle the
emerging housing problem and come up with wholesome solutions
that would not only deal with congestion but also make Colombo
the Garden City it was once known to be. |