SAD STATE OF A POPULAR TOURIST AREA
The protective fence at the entrance to the flyover bridge had broken down due to accidents, creating further danger
A trishaw driver Saman Wijesekara (40) said the ill planned development project had left the town in a dilapidated condition
Residents of the area and tens of thousands of people from outstations expressed concern about the sad state of the Dehiwala town. they said Dehiwala town could be the most squalid town in the Colombo district due to ill-planned buildings and incomplete development activities. Galle road from the Dehiwala Flyover Bridge in either direction has been in a dilapidated condition at several locations with broken down sewage gullies and storm water drains. they pointed out that the protective fence at the entrance to the flyover bridge had broken down due to accidents, creating further danger. Drivers said they were not able to distinguish between the ground lane and the flyover lane at night and that it resulted in several serious accidents.
Buses from distant areas are halted by the roadside for want of a bus stand, causing obstructions to traffic.the buses in short distance routes are parked along the station road.the drivers pointed out that the heavy traffic congestion in the town had not been eased by the flyover bridge which was a failure of the project.
A trishaw driver Saman Wijesekara (40) said the ill planned development project had left the town in a dilapidated condition.
“The pavement had been constructed and demolished in a short time under illplanned development activities wasting public funds . Haphazard trenching in the Galle road from Kawdana road to Siripala Road has created a death trap. Dehiwala Mount-lavinia is a tourist area of which the outlook should be spick and span,” he said.
A resident of the area R.D. Bandusena who travels daily by train from Kalutara and takes a bus to Malambe said the pedestrians on Station Road had been compelled to walk along the centre of the road due to obstructions caused by parking buses along the roadside and unauthorized stalls on the pavements.
“I get down at Dehiwala and walk to Galle road to take the Kandy bound bus to travel to Malambe. However we run the risk of being knocked down by vehicles when walking along the centre of the road. Buses on several by-routes from Dehiwala are parked by the roadside.
The halting place for buses on the main Galle road is quite often a muddy pool. We have to stand away from the halting place to avoid the splish-splash of muddy water when vehicles are passing by. The authorities have not implemented an effective development plan for the Dehiwala town which is a part of the Dehiwala-mount Lavinia municipal area, a popular tourist destination in the county,” he said.
Residents of the area requested the relevant authorities to complete the ongoing development activities soon and not to leave them dragging on for years.