The proposal for the Colombo Katunayake Expressway is up for public scrutiny these days, and as it had many times before, the project has once again aroused controversy. This time, running through the Muthu-rajawela and a part of the Negombo lagoon, the new route comes across many obstacles.
There
is no longer a debate as to whether the proposed road is necessary.
Traffic congestion on the existing road that links the city to Katunayake is throttling the development of the suburbs that lie North of Colombo. The numerous container terminals that have mushroomed in the area only contribute to the problem.
Besides being the first experience of Sri Lankan roads for any visiting foreigner, this road leads to the largest export processing zone-Katunayake. There is general agreement that a new route linking the Airport and Colombo is a priority development activity, and this viewpoint was fully endorsed by successive governments.
The earlier proposal for an expressway which the government put forward after long years of consideration, was knocked down by the lobby protesting against the destruction of so many homes on its path.
The Japanese government was ready to finance this project before the government axed the plan and began looking for alternative routes. Today the Road Development Authority has decided on a new trace but the present proposal has raised several questions.
The new route takes the Kelani Bridge, near the Kandy road and travels east of the existing road upto Mabole (See map).
It then crosses the existing road and enters the marsh to the west. Through the marsh it takes a curvaceous route criss-crossing the Dutch canal, crossing the Dandugam Oya and running through the Negombo lagoon, crossing the existing road again at the point where the airport road leads off the main Colombo- Negombo road.
"The route was decided upon the criterion of least damage to property," General Manager, RDA P.B. L. Cooray said. The Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA) is now with the Central Environment Authority and the CEA verdict on the project is expected by September.
One of the main issues concerning the present route was that it at times plied through the recently declared Muth-urajawela Wildlife Sanctuary. This became an issue when the Netherlands government funded Visitor Centre at the periphery of the sanctuary was also in line for demolition. The Netherlands government expressed their concern that the trace of the new road was not consistent with the policy decision taken by the government, viz, on the conservation of Muthurajawela, in which they had invested heavily.
Considering these viewpoints, the President herself issued a directive that the sanctuary was to be spared and the road should ply a little east at that particular spot to avoid coming into the protected area.
But then the trace goes through a rather populated village, Wahatiyagama. Villagers are already enraged that the trace has been shifted so that it comes through their homes, and even a suggested attractive compensation scheme has not succeeded in persuading them. Angry at the RDA and the Visitor Centre the villagers have even attempted to be violent towards the staff at the Centre.
"We will pay them the evaluated amount for the land and houses that they are losing, and make some extra payment as an incentive for them to leave," Cooray said.
These 28 houses are not the only ones on the demolition line, if the present route is approved by the Central Environment Authority. Some 160 houses, and a part of the Fertilizer Corporation at Hunupitiya will have to removed from the path of the expressway. But the number of houses lost along this trace is considerably less than in the earlier plan.
The road itself will be built on an elevated platform on the marsh. To build this, sand will be pumped from the sea and piled at Kerawalapitiya.
If the project receives the green light, work is expected to commence by January next year. After the embankment is complete, the sand will have to settle and stabilize on the marsh, which will take another two years. By then the government hopes to have an investor on line who would like to finance and manage the expressway. Reportedly the Board of Infrastructure Development will be responsible for bringing in investors.
"It is better for the country if this project could be handled by a private company on BOO or BOT (Build Own Operate) basis," Cooray said.
But the government has not ruled out donor financing either. The Japanese Government has again expressed interest in the project. Initially the government has pledged Rs. 1 billion, which would be spent totally on the embankment, Cooray said. The Rs. 500 million allocation made by the Treasury for the project will also be utilised for the initial work.
One of the main criticisms aimed at the EIA Report prepared by the RDA which is now open for public comment, till August 6, is that it does not pursue in detail viable alternatives to the mapped out route. The three alternatives presented are the earlier eastern road, which cannot really be considered as it was vetoed by the government, the widening of the existing road, which again is short term and not really a solution and improving the railway line to Katunayake.
Also the RDA report has not considered the fact that a large extent of the Muthurajawela was declared a sanctuary in October 1996, and that there is a Conservation Management Plan for the marsh and a committee that implements the plan. In the cabinet approved Master Plan drawn up for the marsh each area is clearly defined and fits into a larger future development plan. By not giving enough consideration to this, the RDA has failed to properly co-ordinate with the ongoing development at Muthurajawela and adequately address the issues of environmental effects and relocation of families.
"The RDA is also represented in this Committee," said Dr. Jayampathy Sama-rakoon of the Wetland Conservation Project of the government and a member of the Muthurajawela Management Committee.
"This gave them ample opportunity to co-ordinate. There are no details given of relocation plans, which makes it difficult for the people of the area to participate in the process of public comment on the EIA."
He said that the EIA does not properly address the issues of environmental effects. "The damage done to the lagoon, if it is to be filled for the road would have tremendous effect on the fisher community dependent on the lagoon. There would be a clear decrease in yield," said Dr. Samarakoon adding that the report has downplayed the importance of the marsh and the lagoon eco-system.
Samarakoon also said that the EIA places too much emphasis on the visitor centre.
"We were willing to move the Visitor Centre if properly compensated," he said.
The Muthurajawela Management Committee had earlier put forward their own proposals for alternative routed that do not affect the sanctuary and the lagoon. One of these was to entirely skirt the Visitor Centre, the Keells container yard and Wahat-iyagama at Tudella. But the RDA has rejected the route on the basis that it costs more.
A totally different proposal was put forward by Surath Wickremasinghe, architect and town planner who proposed that an elevated expressway be built over the existing railway. "This proposal is totally impractical for a country like Sri Lanka. It will cost some Rs.50 billion, while the present project is estimated at Rs. 5-6 billion," Cooray said.
But Wickremasinghe claims that his estimation of the elevated highway is only Rs.8 billion. Cooray added that it was extremely important that this expressway plan should go ahead. "The President herself is personally interested in the project. We have already spent Rs. 35 million on the initial investigations. And it should not be a waste of public funds."
A group of nature lovers have banded together calling themselves 'Friends of Muthurajawela'. The aims are to see that the interests of the sanctuary and the people living there are looked after. The key actors in the group is the nature organisation Ruk Rakaganno led by Kamini Vitharana and officials of the Muthurajawela Project.
The new convenor of the group is Heather Mundy, and it has brought together an interesting mix of people from students, to social workers, scientists, environmentalists and doctors.
The first issue tackled by the group is the Expressway and they will be formulating comments on the EIA to forward to the CEA shortly.
Continue to Plus page 2 - Tiny comets with big impact
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