Constructions must be eco-friendly - Minister

Suraj A Bandara

All constructions should be eco-friendly and should not interfere with the environment balance, Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa said.

He was speaking at the National Awards for Construction Performance 2010 at the Galadari hotel recently.

The Minister said each and every sphere is rapidly developing at present and the construction field has taken a giant step after the war.

Weerawansa said the technology used by our ancestors in building construction was amazing and they never harmed the environment at large through their projects.

The world is still puzzled with the technology they used in the ancient Lanka, he added.

"Our ancient builders were very keen to construct buildings without damaging the environment. They wanted to protect the environment and never attempted to destroy it. The concept Wewai-Dagabai shows how much our ancestors loved the natural environment," Weerawansa said. The Singaporean Defence Minister who visited the country recently said that Sri Lanka would be only second to China as the fastest developing country, he said.

Several opportunities have come up under the present scenario in the construction sector and they should capitalize on this trend for the betterment of the country, he said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa's policy initiatives have foreseen the potential growth of the construction field.

He said next year's budget would be a revolutionary manifestation of the development initiatives of the country and it would give prominence to the construction field, Weerawansa said. The political stability together with a strong leadership has made the country proud and no power can challenge Sri Lanka's sovereignty , the Minister added.