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The commercial hub of the country is about to get a massive facelift. A number of infrastructure development and uplift plans are expected to be executed in the metropolitan areas of the city under the Metro Colombo Urban Development Project (MCUDP) that has been recently approved for funding by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development of the World Bank.

The MCUDP will concentrate on three main areas—flood prevention and drainage management, urban development, infrastructure rehabilitation and capacity building for Colombo local authorities. Work on several projects has been initiated.

The project cost will be around US $ 223 million (approximately 29,000 million rupees) and the work expected to be completed by June 2017.

The mega project, said an official, is being implemented with an aim of reducing the physical and socio-economic impacts of flooding and improving the local infrastructure. With MCUDP, we also intend to complement the regeneration projects that are currently being carried out, he added.

Rohan Seneviratne, project director of the MCUDP who is also an Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, said that last year urban development was shifted under the purview of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. A set of issues that were in need of immediate attention were then identified, he added.

Listing them out, Mr. Seneviratne said flooding in Colombo, underserved settlements amounting to 68,500, poor solid-waste management, encroachments, unplanned urban regeneration, effectiveness of local authorities and the lack of public spaces were some of areas which called for prompt action.

“We do not plan to move these settlers out of the city. We will provide them better housing facilities inside Colombo because the dwellers of these ‘underserved settlements’ contribute immensely to the city’s economy,” he said.

On the issue of canals often being clogged due to dumping of garbage and poor maintenance, he said the canal system was being cleaned and its conveyance capacity was also being improved with the support of Sri Lanka Navy.

Moreover, under the MCUDP around 16 major sub-projects have been planned to address the macro-drainage and flood management issues in Colombo.

The Beira Lake will be restored and adjoining parks will be restored to create more urban spaces for business and recreation, added another official. The lake will be made more accessible to the general public with adequate bank protection.

Walls will be constructed along the 2.5km of the east and west shoreline of the lake and steps will also be taken to restore the McCallum lock gates, which have a historic value, he added.  In the second phase of the plan outlined for the lake, a six-kilometre pedestrian path, with an average width of six metres, will be constructed on the sides of the protective walls.

Beddegana Biodiversity Park, the official while speaking to the Sunday Times added, will also be developed to ensure the protection of the Beddagana Wetland Sanctuary and Kotte Ramparts from future encroachments.

Duplication Road and another 11 kilometres of roadways within the city will be rehabilitated with improved pedestrian walks.

Under the MCUDP, overhead bridges from the railway stations at Kollupitiya and Bambalapitiya to Galle Road will also be constructed to facilitate passenger movement and to minimise traffic congestion along Galle Road.

Apart from that, two beach parks are being planned for the Wellawatta area and Crow Island.  In the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council Area, 17km of roads will be rehabilitated in addition to the 23km of roads that will be rehabilitated in the Sri Jayawardhanapura-Kotte Municipal Council area. Similarly, around 6km of roads will be rehabilitated and a few drainage improvement projects implemented in the Kolonnawa area.

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