Solution to Colombo floods

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

LRDC Chairman de Silva

The Colombo city will not go under water due to the heavy down pour experienced during the recent past, since a long lasting solution for the flood havoc has been implemented.

The Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (LRDC) is building 10 new tanks in and around Colombo to absorb flood waters which caused havoc recently.

The project which has two phases will cost over Rs 400 million. Under the first phase, five tanks are being dug at Rampalawatta at Pelawatta, Talawathugoda, Heen Ela at Kirimandala Mawatha in Narahenpita, Peliyagoda and at Diyawannawa near Waters Edge. It has been observed that these areas regularly go under water during heavy rain. The first phase is in full swing aiming to mitigate hazards of he

avy showers expected in the near future.

LRDC Chairman Harshan de Silva said work on five tanks being constructed under the first phase is in progress. Work is expected to be completed by the middle of this year. Out of the five tank projects, work on Rampalawatta and Peliyagoda premises is nearing completion.

The tank being dug at Rampalawatta, Pelawatta

Fifty percent of the construction of Rampalawatta tank has been completed. The 24 acre Rampalawatta tank would hold 65,000 cubic metres of water. The project would be completed by March. Construction of the Peliyagoda tank is also continuing apace with 70 percent work completed. The tank is being dug in an eight acre marshy land near the new fish market.

The construction of the 23 acre Talawatugoda tank is also in progress. It is expected to be completed in the next few months. Heen Ela tank project is considered as a vital construction since it can hold a significant quantity of water. The Heen Ela tank will be constructed on a 54 acre land. The Diyawannawa tank is being built by widening the Diyawanna Oya. The tank is spread over 44 acres, the Chairman said.

He said that the Diyawannawa tank would prevent the Parliament complex from flooding. The Chairman assured that other authorised constructions in these tanks construction areas would remain intact as the tanks would be built on available land. According to the Chairman, the Peliyagoda tank would prevent floods in the Gampaha district which was another area badly affected by the recent deluge.

Drainage lines in and around the Colombo city are also being expanded as it is reported that the capacity of the system was not sufficient to take up the water flow which is brought on by the heavy showers experienced.