Pradip Jayewardene (UPFA)

Pradip Jayewardene, grandson of late President J.R. Jayewardene, is contesting on the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) ticket for the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC).

Citing waste management, traffic and zoning as the city's major issues, Mr. Jayewardene says he has detailed plans to convert the city into a sustainable, developed, smart city in a short period. "I feel that we need to stop complaining about what is happening around us and do something about it," he told the Sunday Times.

With extensive experience in the private sector, he suggests that a better mechanism should be introduced as Colombo's zoning rules no longer work. He pointed out that many businesses had set up in residential zones disrupting long-term residents and ruining high-value residential areas.

"The zoning of Colombo has to be reconsidered taking into account that restaurants and cafes cannot survive far away from residences, nor can homeowners live comfortably next door to restaurants and fast food outlets," Mr. Jayewardene told the Sunday Times.

"Collection of garbage is irregular and delayed because we can no longer give it to someone else as we did in Meethotamulla. 700-800MT of waste is generated in Colombo city each day. Segregation is now being done, but there are difficulties in handling and disposal. Sometimes garbage is not collected on time and accumulates in our homes. Quite a large quantity is also being dumped into our canals and rivers ending up in the sea and on our beaches," he said.

"I plan to work with the UDA and Ministry of Megapolis to develop a new zoning plan for Colombo to ensure continuous growth of the city while preserving traditional residential areas. Zoning must also include low income housing, an economic model must be created to improve the housing standard of these residents and ensure their presence in the city," he said.

He is also of the view that the CMC should have extra powers compared to other LG bodies as it is the council for the commercial hub of the country. "In the event of a disaster, man-made or natural, the Mayor should be able to act in the shortest possible time as the scale and the demands for emergency relief are much higher than other LG bodies. The normal approval process could take many days."

Mr. Jayewardene said he will be following in the footsteps of his grandfather. "My Grandfather's advice to me was 'Never Give Up'," he said.