Colombo takes on different face

Nadira GUNATILLEKE and Dharmashri ABEYRATNE

The Colombo city has undergone a new and cleaner look under the leadership of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. The city is now free of dengue, rabies, garbage and floods. No floods have been reported from Colombo during this rainy season.

Health Ministry Epidemiology Unit latest statistics reveal that only 24 dengue cases had been reported from the Colombo Municipal Council area during this month and only 21 dengue cases had been reported from the other parts of the Colombo district.

Only 45 dengue cases had been reported from the entire Colombo district during this month. Only 306 dengue cases were reported from the Colombo district last month. It was 875 in August.

Health Ministry statistics also revealed that no rabid deaths or rabies cases had been reported from the whole country including the Colombo district during the past three months after garbage were removed by the Armed forces and proper garbage disposal system implemented.

The Presidential Task Force appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa worked hard to remove garbage all over the country.

The entire Colombo city was flooded in May this year displacing over 150,000 people. Nearly 200,000 people were displaced in Gampaha district. Armed Forces had to transport passengers to the Bandaranaike International Airport from the Colombo city when the Colombo-Katunayake road went under water in May.

Colombo Municipal Council Special Commissioner Omar Kamil said most of downstream and upstream in the Colombo municipality area were cleaned to prevent form flooding. “Most canals and drainage systems have been cleaned and upgraded. This exercise is done through an accelerated program to prevent the city from flooding,” he said.

However the obsolete drainage system in the municipality area has to be renewed since the prevailing drainage system can not bare excess rainwater. “If three is a 150 ml downpour within two hours the drainage system can not bare the rainwater. As the long lasting solution, most drainages, canals, upstream and downstream have to be reconstructed,” the Commissioner added.

The people must assist the CMC to keep the city clean. Most of the time drainages and canals are blocked by illegal settlements and constructions. People also dump garbage in to drainages, Kamil said.

The CMC will upgrade the condition of roads and pavements. Several roads have already been carpeted. Renovation of several roads is in progress under the road network improvement initiative. Pavements are also being renovated, the Commissioner said.

People have to adopt a new culture when disposing garbage. Improper garbage dumping is a hazard to the environment. The garbage collecting mechanism has been streamlined.

”This is a collective effort of many parties such as the CMC, Army, Land Reclamation Board and especially individuals,” the Commissioner said. Colombo: Looking cleaner now.