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No plain sailing
at Katunayake Civil Aviation
Minister Tilak Marapana who is fully backing the Katunayake expansion
project has vowed to close down the Airport at Katunayake and look
for an alternative location, if there is strong opposition. According to
Ministry officials the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
has declared that a second runway is essential if Sri Lanka wishes
to emerge as South Asia's hub. IATA has given the government time
till the end of the year, suggesting that an airport in South India
might serve as the hub if Sri Lanka does not take up the offer. They said Speaker
Joseph Michael Perera who represents the Ja-Ela area had initially
said he was not fully aware of any expansion project but he had
later agreed to provide the people with some information on it. The airport
expansion covering some 700 more acres will involve the construction
of a second runway leaving a distance of about 1.6 Kilometres from
the existing one enabling two jumbo planes to land at the same time.
The airport buildings and terminals will also be modernised. The expansion
would also mean the relocation of the neighbouring Air Force base
while houses, places of worship and other buildings between the
20th mile post (Kurana-Katunayake) and Galkanda, are to be acquired
and demolished, residents say. Other residents
in the 18th mile post area say they also fear they maybe affected
though they are not within the development zone. People in Katunayake,
Kurana and Kimbulapitiya areas say they are suspicious of the hush
hush moves to meet an IATA deadline and they have information that
besides the second runway, hotels, shopping malls, swimming pools
and golf clubs would also come up. "We understand the need
for a runway, but we won't leave our houses if the government's
aim is to develop this into a tourist zone," an Ayurvedic physician
Neville Lakshman said. Minister Jayalath
Jayawardene who represents Ja-Ela and is caught slap-bang in the
middle of the confrontation now acknowledges the airport expansion
plan is on the boards but says most of the other factors were still
concepts. He has assured
residents he would arrange a meeting with officials to sort out
their grievances. Sunil Fonseka
of the Katana-Negombo Association to Protect Traditional Rights
said residents were unaware of the expansion plan till it was highlighted
in the media. He claimed that even when they held a major protest
last Sunday, Minister Jayawardhene had said he was not aware of
such a project. Mr. Fonseka, a professional photographer is concerned that he might lose his business if he moves out of the Katunayake area. Others also feared loss of business, the difficulty in finding new schools for their children and related matters. According to Mr. Marapana who is also the Defence Minister the Katunayake Air Force base will also be relocated, though residents say construction of new AirForce quarters is even now taking place there. The Sunday Times also spoke to the Ven. K. Gnanakati Thero of the Paranabodhi Viharaya at Kimbulapitiya. He said three temples, five churches and two schools would be affected. Which way
Jayalath? Dr. Jayawardene
said he was trying to sort out misunderstandings between the people
and the government on the proposed project. "Having
won a large number of preferential votes, it is my duty towards
the people to look into their interests and problems," he said
adding that he was at the site of the protest last Sunday to clear
misconceptions. He claimed
that some people had been misled by 'anti government elements' who
were spreading stories that the relocation would be in far off places
like Anamduwa and that 10,000 houses would be demolished. He said the
government hoped to relocate any displaced residents at Katana.
Dr. Jayawardene said he had been informed by the Chairman of the
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Hemasiri Fernando that only 1500
houses, one Buddhist temple and one church would be acquired. He insisted the government would not abandon the project to make Katunayake the hub of South Asia. Mace in the
maize Following a
huge protest last Sunday, the Speaker acted fast to convene a meeting
of top officials, residents and civic leaders on Friday at the airport
premises to calm fears and give reassurances. Religious leaders,
community leaders and representatives of organisations formed to
protest against the project were briefed by the Speaker who assured
that adequate compensation would be paid and suitable alternate
land made available. He pledged
he would make every effort to see that compensation would be paid
at the highest market price. As for relocation he said most people
would be moved out nearby to new cites in the Katana, Seeduwa areas.
Among others present was Civil Aviation Chief Hemasiri Fernando. Marapana
not mincing words Defending the
project Mr. Marapana told The Sunday Times that if the protests
in Katunayake continued the government would find an alternative
site for an international airport with a second runway and modern
facilities. If that happened the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway project
would also have to be abandoned, he said. He assured
that the dislocated people would be paid compensation at market
prices and would be resettled within a radius of five miles from
the airport. The minister
also claimed that the expanded airport would provide hundreds of
new jobs and a host of new opportunities especially for the people
of the district. He said the
government was ready to listen to the problems and fears of the
people and work things out for the common good. If an alternate
site was required he said the government would look at places in
Kalutara, Horana or Avissawella. IATA says
take it or fly a kite According to
a report IATA is insisting that it is Katunayake and not an alternative
site that should become the hub of South Asia. The IATA report
says several meetings in this regard had been held with the Government
of Sri Lanka over the years to expedite the construction of a second
runway. IATA has set
December 2002 as an ultimatum for Sri Lanka to confirm if land can
be acquired. If Sri Lanka fails to acquire land now, IATA will be
compelled to look for an airport in South India, which will be encouraged
to be the South Asian Hub. "There is no room for two hubs in
South Asia," IATA has said in the report. The report
has pointed out the need for Sri Lanka to have a second runway to
accommodate larger aircraft that will be operating soon. Airbus 380 the largest aircraft in the world is expected to operate by 2006 and if Sri Lanka doesn't have the required infrastructure at Katunayake, such aircraft cannot come here, the report warns. Lanka running
out of time: BOI Chief Explaining
the need for a second runway Mr. Mahendran said IATA had made the
request as far back as 1996. He said any international airport required
at least two runways about two kilometres apart so that if there
was an accident or other problem on one runway, a plane could land
on the other. "At Katunayake we don't have that facility. So every plane that comes into Sri Lanka now, has to carry enough fuel to turn round and go back to Chennai if necessary. That is a big
burden to the aircraft, because it has to carry excess fuel, which
means the weight of the plane is more, so the consumption of fuel
is also more," he explained. Mr. Mahendran
said he believed Sri Lanka could not develop its tourism industry,
cargo industry and free trade zone investments, unless the country
had a fully developed airport with at least two runways. "For this,
we have to get our second runway running as soon as possible. We
don't have time, because already in India, the Bangalore airport
is being developed and now Hydrabad airport is also being developed
with two runways and they want to grab this business from us. We have to
do it fast and the people who are opposing this second runway don't
realise that they're killing thousands of jobs in the tourism sector
and the cargo sector," he warned. "Between
Dubai and Singapore there is no hub airport where planes can come,
take passengers, drop them and transit them to India and various
places. "We have
a huge opportunity in Sri Lanka, because our airport has a good
service, much better than what they give in India. "Lot of
Indian people like to come on Sri Lanka airlines through Katunayake
airport to go to Dubai, Singapore and various other places,"
Mr. Mahendran said. "We should
start construction early next year. That means between now and the
next six months we have to compensate the people who would be affected.
"If that
is done in the next six months, then we can start construction early
next year and by the end of the year we'll have the second runway.
"Thereafter
we have to upgrade the terminal building to accommodate all the
new passengers who will come and we can make it a hub airport. "Once
we set up a new terminal, the majority of the traffic coming out
of South India will come through Colombo," he said. Mr. Mahendran
pointed out that at the moment no major airlines came to Sri Lanka
other than Emirates and Singapore airlines. "We don't
have British Airways, we don't have any American airlines; and most
of the European airlines don't come here. Even the Australian airline
Qantas doesn't come to Sri Lanka. They don't
want to come here, because we don't have the proper facilities.
We need a second runway, otherwise it's too expensive for them to
land here carrying excess fuel," he said. |
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