Nightmare in Colombo over construction boom
With reference to the timely article “Zero-level city planning in Colombo” which appeared in the Business Times last week, it is time the authorities woke up to the ongoing construction mayhem that is plaguing the daily lives of its citizens. Are there no sensible building regulations to protect us?
For example, the residents of the cul-de-sac end of Abdul Caffoor Mawatha, Colombo 3 have had their lives turned into a living nightmare on account of a 14 floor construction sanctioned by the former Mayor of Colombo despite our protests which he (A.J.M. Muzammil) overruled in March 2016.
As a result, four families have vacated their homes, two homes are partially destroyed, two others have structural damage and the noise, pollution and inconvenience unbearable. The developers have damaged the road and water pipe lines. The police are called in regularly and are most sympathetic. Is legally planned and regulated town planning not on the agenda of the UDA and the relevant authorities? Are tax paying citizens not entitled to some protection from arbitrary high rise buildings springing up in every available nook and cranny? Why is permission being granted for buildings to be built with so little – or none at all – space between them in this climate? Shouldn’t the existing building rules be revised to protect the health of its citizens? The elderly and long established citizens are being deprived of peace, light, air and privacy so that cowboy-type developers of dubious origin become rich overnight and the authorities seem totally unconcerned.
Christine Dayananda
Colombo