Livelihoods of hundreds who depend on the cultivation and sale of flower plants were affected by the decision to transfer them from Viharamahadevi Park, where they have been engaged in this business for more than 23 years.
No permanent location has been found for the vendors, though they have been allocated a small section of the ‘Sathutu Uyana’ as a temporary measure, consequent to the desperate appeals of the vendors. Despite frantic appeals to the highest levels of government, their removel stands.
The vendors claim that they were not given a specific reason by the municipality, for their eviction, other than to be told “to make the park a beautiful playground”.
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| The temporary location for flower plant vendors at Sathutu Uyana being prepared.
Pic by Athula Devapriya |
Ayomi Wickremanayake, Secretary of the Association for the Organisation of Flower Exhibitions at Viharamahadevi Park, said, “At the original venue, the vendors had 540 stalls, but at ‘Sathutu Uyana’ only half that number can be accomodated.
Every organisation had about 91 stalls each. Hence, such a decision will harm the rest of the flower exhibitors, who will also try to put their own stalls at the same place,” she said.
“The vendors and the exhibitors are dissatisfied with the inadequate space, which cannot accommodate canopies and further vehicles cannot be taken right up to the stalls,” Ms. Wickremanayake said. “That is an unsuitable place to have plant shows, as vehicles cannot be taken in. There are many who come in wheelchairs to purchase plants. Such people will not be able to do so. The previous place had well organised stalls on elevated locations, and a good roadway, unlike the present place which will turn into a muddy mess on rainy days,” she said.
“Proceeds from the sale of flowers and plants at shows and exhibitions are the chief source of income for most of the vendors here. Due to the limited space allocated at ‘Sathutu Uyana’, a majority of them would not be able to participate at these shows and exhibitions, and hence, would be without a livelihood,” she added
The Municipality had given notice to the vendors in April to relocate elsewhere. However, on an appeal by the Flower Vendors Association, they were given time till July 1, to shift to ‘Sathutu Uyana’.
Meanwhile, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Special Commissioner Omar Kamil speaking on this issue said that, under the beautification programme of Colombo City, development of Viharamahadevi Park is also included and the decision to relocate the flower plant vendors from the park was taken at that time, and subsequently conveyed to the vendors.
He confirmed that ‘Sathutu Uyana’ is a temporary venue, till a better place is decided upon to carry out their profession methodically. “We don’t want to have any commercial activities within the park. We have been informing the vendors for the past six months of this. As a matter of fact, we are trying to help them with their profession. We have been helping them for the last 15 years to maintain their stalls and sell their plants,” he said. When asked about the grievances of the vendors, Mr. Kamil said that they have only been shifted and not that they had no place to go to. The municipality has given them an alternate place, even if it was temporary.
However, to the flower plant vendors, the foreseeable future looked anything but rosy. In fact, it seemed to be withering right in front of their eyes
Environmentalists pointed out that the flower plant vendors helped preserve the environment within the city, by selling plants and encouraging people in urban areas to nurture and maintain flower plants, graft trees and maintain lawns. |
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