19 local councils in Metro Colombo Development area

The Government has named an area encompassing 19 local councils as the core area of the Metro Colombo Development Region.

This includes five municipal councils, seven urban councils, and seven pradeshiya sabhas.

The municipal councils are Colombo, Dehiwala- Mt. Lavinia, Moratuwa, and

Sri Jayewardenepura-Kotte and Kaduwela while the UCs incorporated into the project are Maharagama, Kolonnawa, Kesbewa, Boralesgamuwa, Ja-Ela, Wattala-Mabola, and Peliyagoda.

The Pradeshiya Sabhas which will come under the metro development region include Mahara, Biyagama, Kelaniya, Wattala, Ja-ela, Kotikawatta and Homagama.

The selected areas were gazetted by subject Minister Champika Ranawaka this week. The Gazette notification said the total ground area of these 19 Local Government institutions have had their exclusive boundaries and borders marked clearly and definitely by the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government.

The Metro Colombo Development Region will operate under the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development and is jointly financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) of the World Bank Group and the Government of Sri Lanka, at a total cost of US$ 321 million. (World Bank - US$ 213 million and Sri Lankan Government - US$ 108 million).

The project will focus on flood and drainage management and addresses the urgent issue of urban flooding, which regularly paralyses the economy of the Metro Colombo Region. It will also support the local authorities to rehabilitate and manage their drainage infrastructure and urban roads, implement selected urban improvement investments, and improve solid waste collection.