News
Several housing complexes unsafe for residents
The dilapidated state of the Wekanda flats Pix by M.A. Pushpakumara
A number of government-owned housing units across the county are in a dilapidated state, causing a safety threat to the residents.
Rusted canopy frames, unpainted walls, cracked ceilings and broken slabs were witnessed during a visit by the Sunday Times to these complexes.
Among such schemes was the Wekanda housing complex in Kompannaya Veediya. Constructed in 1962, the complex is owned by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC).
Resident Jawffer Zarook showed the Sunday Times the dire situation of the complex. He showed us the bathroom where the sewage lines had a leak, so the residents below the apartment had tied it with shopping bags as a temporary solution.
However, a National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) official said the building had been condemned in 2018, and the residents were asked to shift to a safer location provided by the Government, but they had refused to move out due to the convenience of the present location.
He pointed out that another reason for the current state of such complexes was the residents building balconies and extensions in an unauthorised manner. Due to the lack of quality of the new additions, the longevity of the building and the safety of its residents are at question.
The Urban Development and Housing Ministry’s Planning and Monitoring Director Sampath Mallawarachchi said that any housing complex, be it government or private owned, was required to form a Condominium Corporation under the Condominium Property Act, and as owners of each complex, it was their responsibility to look into renovation matters. It is the duty of the Condominium Management Authority to inform the residents.
“A massive campaign with a high level political participation to make a transformation for better housing programmes” was Mr. Mallawarachchi’s solution to make the residents aware of the Condominium Property Act.
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