New Beira Lake project in the offing

Turning upside down, the former regime’s project to restore the Beira Lake and develop the surrounding area spearheaded by former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, this showpiece lake is to be developed under a new plan soon.

Earlier plans to relocate all the casinos to a special zone in Colombo’s D. R. Wi j e w a r d e n a Mawartha/ Beira Lake area have been shelved.

The Beira Lake surrounding area development plan will be devised by the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development and Urban Development Authority ( UDA) on a recent directive issued by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) to develop the land adjacent to the lake.

The Ministry will request proposals from local and foreign investors for this massive development project. Families living in shanties along the lake will be provided housing units with more facilities in the condominium housing schemes under construction. Warehouses and garages by the side of Beira Lake will be relocated to use the land surrounding the lake for more productive uses.

This new development will be connected directly to the Colombo Financial City at Galle Face, as well as to the multi-modal transportation hub close to D. R Wijewardena Mawatha.

Private and public institutions in the area have been requested to submit their development plans to the UDA to include their suggestions in the new plan.

More than 70 government and private institutions, and over 1,000 smaller private institutions and residential properties are located in the area, Megapolis and Western Development Ministry official said.

Earlier plans to relocate all the casinos to a special zone in Colombo’s D.R. Wijewardena Mawartha/Beira Lake area have been shelved.