Boat rides in Lunawa lagoon

Sandasen Marasinghe

The reconstruction and cleaning of the Lunawa lagoon in Moratuwa by the Sri Lanka Navy is completed and open for the public for boat rides.

Navy spokesman Captain Athula Senarath yesterday told the Daily News that the Navy has planned to provide training and instructions to aspiring enthusiastic youth in the area in water sports such as motor boating, jet skiing, rowing, kayaking and canoing in the Lunawa lagoon. He also added that the completion of the maintenance work to restore waterways of Lunawa lagoon is an extension of the Sri Lanka Navy’s continuous efforts to keep clean the canal network of Colombo and add beauty to the city while preventing catastrophic flooding in accordance with Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s concept.

The restoration of the Lunawa lagoon and flood water system is a success and part of the Colombo Flood Control and Environmental Improvement Project (GCFC and EIP) with financial assistance from the Japanese Government on the initiative of the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC) of the Housing and Plantation Infrastructure Ministry.

Captain Senarath further stated that the lagoon had been an environmental derelict causing inundation in the surrounding areas during the rainy season due to stagnant flood water in the canal network and drains connected to the lagoon. He added that the area was a breeding place for dengue mosquitoes.

“Now it is an environment friendly area after the cleaning and clearing and the Navy and SLLRDC jointly engage in maintaining the lagoon and canals” Captain Senarath said “the boat rides are free for the public.”

He added that the Navy has deployed two boats in the Lunawa lagoon and each has ten seats.