Perahera route carpeted in record time

By L.B.Senaratna and Shane Seneviratne

A move to 'carpet' the 4.1 kilometre stretch of road along which the Kandy Esala Perahera will travel is drawing criticism from opposition quarters. The decision to carpet the road at a tremendous cost was taken on a directive from President Mahinda Rajapaksa after Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Dela made a request to him.

Carpeting at record speed

Following the presidential directive, Kandy Mayor L.B.Aluvihare obtained the services of the Road Development Authority to ' carpet the entire route of the Kandy Esala Perahera before the historic event begins on August 19. However JVP Municipal Councillor Anura Kumara Gonawela said that due to lack of coordination between KMC engineers and SL Telecom authorities, the manhole covers which had to be opened to carry out repair work had been completely buried by the hurried repair work.

The JVP councillors’ views were endorsed by the KMC Opposition KMC Leader, Thilina Bandara Tennakoon who said that as a result of the closing of the manholes, the roads would need to be dug up once again and the entire blame for this must be borne by the KMC.

However Mayor Aluvihara said no such problem would arise and added he was thankful to the President for taking prompt action to have the roads repaired ahead of the Perahera. The contractor's project engineer N.R. Bamunusinghe told the Kandy Times 'the Telecom and other public services manholes were covered over but they would be reopened after the 'carpeting'.

People in the area are aghast at the speed with which the contractors and the RDA had undertaken the work. In normal circumstances, it would have taken months before a stretch of the road could be repaired. The contractors work only after four in the evening and into the night, but the work is proceeding satisfactorily. The project engineer said all work would be completed before the Perehera.