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Amidst the hustle and bustle of a hectic Colombo life, city dwellers yearn for recreation opportunities. The Marine Drive extending from Ramakrishna Road, Wellawatte up to Milagiriya Avenue, Bambalapitiya - a distance of about 2 km- has the potential to be developed into an attractive beach park with its unmatched sea view.

Regrettably, this scenic stretch is now under threat from the mushrooming billboards and hoardings, signs of oncoming commercialization.

These apart, the dumping of debris and unloading of construction material have become an eyesore to the public, especially to those who regularly frequent the Marine Drive be it for moonlit strolls, workouts or health walks.

“People engaged in construction activity come in the nights to unload debris along the Marine Drive. Lot of construction activity is going on in this area, but people from other areas too come to unload debris here. If we see them unloading during the day time, we shout at them and send them back but this happens mostly during the night,” passers-by told The Sunday Times.

According to the Director Coast Conservation Department (CCD) Dr. R. A. D. P. Samaranayake, the Urban Development Authority (UDA) had prepared a plan for a beach park near Ramakrishna Road in the Marine Drive and this was approved by the CCD a couple of years ago. “The UDA undertook to handle the programme in the Marine Drive and funds were allocated too. According to the allocations the CCD is developing three beach parks in Thotamuna, Mattakkuliya and Tangalle areas while the Sri Lanka Ports Authority is developing one in Matara,” he said.

Director, Environment and Landscape Division, Urban Development Authority, Hester Basnayake, said that the UDA has a development plan for the Wellawatte area of the Marine Drive which includes the setting up of a beach park. Funds were allocated for this project recently and it will be implemented in the near future, she said.

Speaking of the hoardings and billboards springing up in the area, she said there is a general clause in the UDA law regulating advertisements which covers the erection of hoardings and billboards in the city of Colombo. But no detailed regulation has been laid down yet for the Marine Drive which comes under the city of Colombo. She added that each city has to be dealt with separately and have its own detailed regulations.

According to her, Sri Jayawardenapura is being dealt with presently, and the city of Nuwara Eliya and Kandy have already gazetted a detailed advertisement on control regulation.

Dumping remains the sole responsibility of the CMC, she added.

Meanwhile, an official from the CMC Wellawatte district office said that the collection of garbage along the Marine Drive is being done on a regular basis by the CMC but not collection of construction debris. They face a problem in identifying those who dump construction debris along the Marine Drive and need public assistance for this, he said.

“We do not know exactly where this debris is coming from, whether this is being done by the residents in and around the area or those who live elsewhere. It would be useful if the public can help us in identifying the culprits,” he said.

According to Director Projects, Road Development Authority (RDA) from Melbourne Avenue to Glen Aber Place of the Marine Drive is maintained by the RDA and they are presently engaged in the construction of roads in the area. “We have observed people unloading building material on the roadsides besides dumping debris. So far we have not taken legal action since a lot of people have responded to the request made by us not to unload building material there,” he said.

Those enjoying the scenic appeal of Marine Drive hope that the authorities will be vigilant and proactive in protecting its tranquil beauty.