New oil pipe line to replace old one

Ridma Dissanayake

A new oil pipe line will replace the old oil pipe line carrying oil from Colombo Port to Kolonnawa, and preliminary work has been started in this regard by the Storage Terminal Company under the guidance of Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha.

Storage Terminal Company chairman M R W de Soysa has launched the project with the Defence Ministry as the main collaborator.

All arrangements have been made to demolish all illegal settlements on both sides of the pipe line, and to provide temporary homes for these squatters.

All unauthorized settlements within six metres on either side of the pipe line are to be demolished.

There are around 80 families who have encroached this area and the Urban Development Authority (UDA) is to build temporary homes for these families by purchasing land belonging to the Sri Lanka Railways Department.

The Storage Terminal Company had given Rs 10 million to the UDA to purchase the above land and the UDA had begun to build temporary homes with the involvement of the Defence Ministry.

They are to complete all these homes by February 22.

The construction of the new oil pipe line is to commence after these families are settled in new homes.

The Petroleum Industries Ministry is to build two oil pipe lines form Colombo Port to Kolonnawa costing US $ 30 million. The ministry hopes to have this money through loans.

The Ceylon Storage Terminal Corporation has made arrangements to make a special security system to ban unauthorized settlements within six meters on either side of the pipe line.