Champika requests Prez to implement PC recommendations

THE UDA IS HOPING TO PROMOTE HORIZONTAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF COLOMBO

Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Chamipka Ranawaka requested President Maithripala Sirisena to immediately implement the Presidential Committee (PC) recommendations on the Meethotamulla garbage dump.

He made this remark at the function to declare open the ‘Lake Crest Residencies’ condominium apartment complex by the President on Wednesday.

The Minister said that 18 months had passed since the retired high Court Judge Chandradasa Nanayakkara who was appointed to the presidential committee to look into the cause of the Meethotamulla garbage dump collapse, had named those responsible; however no action had been taken.

“This was a tragedy that shocked us. The Colombo Municipality had not paid for the damage it had done to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) that owned this land by dumping garbage. Therefore I urge the President to mete out justice to the families of those who were killed in this tragedy by enforcing the law against those responsible,” the Minister said.

He also said that the Urban Development Authority had given houses within a week, to those who lost their homes as a result of this tragedy.

The Lake Crest Residencies, a five storeyed condominium apartment complex, was launched as an Urban Regeneration Project under the UDA at a cost of Rs. 1,200 million and was built across five acres near the Angoda Hospital premises..

It had also spent another Rs. 162 million to develop the infrastructure facilities in the area.

The 500 unit condominium apartment complex priced up to Rs 4.2 million to Rs 3.8 million each, was built for low income families in Colombo.

Under the guidance of the UDA, the Megapolis Ministry is to build a total of 5,000 housing units as condominium apartment complexes and construction of six apartments had already commenced.

Each housing unit has a capacity of 442 square feet and consists of two bed rooms, attached bathroom, kitchen, living room and a balcony.

Meanwhile, the UDA is hoping to promote horizontal development in the outskirts of Colombo such as in the rural areas, in order to take the maximum benefit of the land area. The Megapolis vision is to create well structured and organised urban cities, preventing the land waste in vertical development.