Colombo Port City- some critical issues that need to be addressed

Colombo Port City (CPC) is a planned offshore city which is to be built on reclaimed land adjacent to the Galle Face Green. The total extent of the CPC is around 250 hectares.

Two articles on the Port City Project (PCP) appeared in the Sunday Times of June 19 and 26. The one on June 19 by Carmel L. Corea (CLC) highlighted some of the undesirable effects of CPC on a number of issues including the environment. The main emphasis of the other by Nihal Fernando (NF) in the Sunday Times of June 26 was on various factors mostly related to pre reclamation period, highlighted in the Supplementary Environment Impact Assessment Report (SEIA) of 2015. It is a comprehensive report, of 421 pages in 8 chapters on numerous issues involved in the construction of the CPC. It was intended to supplement the EIA of 2011.

The report indicates the amount of rock material that would be required (2.83 million cubic metres) and even has worked out the details on how all this material is going to be transported including the transport routes. Assuming a lorry load of granite will carry 10 CM of granite, transporting nearly 3 million CM of rock will involve 300,000 trips from and to the quarries in Gampaha and Colombo districts during the construction period. This will add to the traffic congestion we are already facing.

The SEIA report also highlighted the infrastructure to be constructed in the 230 hectares of reclaimed Port City. These include roads, water, and electricity, communication facilities to set up shopping areas, water sports area, mini golf course, hotels, apartments, recreation areas etc. According to the initial plan, there was a move to include a new Formula One track,

However, the SEIA report does not go into details of the post-reclamation activities. Once the project is completed how it is going to affect the people in the Colombo city and the suburbs needs to be given due consideration. The article by NF has not commented on these post reclamation issues. The SEIA mentions these issues (Chapter 2 – sections 2.3.5.5 – 2.3.5.14) The report says that it is the responsibility of the respective govt. organisations to supply all these facilities. Will the relevant organisations be able to supply the facilities/ services indicated above ?

The present population of Colombo district is around 2 million. According to CLC this population will increase by around 1 million with the completion of the PCP. This may be not correct as according to another document once completed the Colombo Port City will house over 245,000 people with 28% of them being permanent residents. (May be NF could give the correct figure)

The increase in population is due to the tourists, staff in the offices, hotels, apartments etc. A substantial number will be coming to the CPC from Colombo city and suburbs. They will be using public and private transport increasing the already congested main trunk roads. The population in CPC will have to be provided facilities such as water and electricity. Even without the CPC there is a shortage of water in Colombo city during dry periods. The same with electricity supply. With construction of hotels, offices etc in CPC, the demand for water and electricity will increase and how are these requirements going to be met?

Solid waste and sewage disposal are two other issues which the GOSL will have to give serious consideration. According to NF, the PCP will be connected to the Asian Development Bank funded Greater Colombo Sewerage Waste Water Management Project. It is not known when this project will materialize. This report also mentions of transporting solid waste from CPC to Puttalam, a very unrealistic, uneconomic proposal. In many countries, solid waste is used to generate electricity. In fact at Pelwatta Sugar Industries, bagasse, a solid waste from sugarcane is used to generate electricity which meets the electricity require- ment of the factory premises. According to CLC, GOSL is responsible for providing all these services required for the operation of the CPC. Even at present the people in Colombo and suburbs are inconvenienced to a great extent by traffic congestion, frequent power failures, accumulation solid waste, water shortages etc.

According to the SEIA report there are around 40 species of fish and corals in the sea around the CPC and sewage from the CPC is going to be discharged to the sea. The sewage discharged would contain toxic heavy metals and will pollute the sea in the area causing many harmful effects on the biological environment including the fish population and those who consume the fish. The extent to which it will affect the fish exports will also have to be given consideration,

Even if these services are to be provided by the GOSL, the financial involvement will be massive and the GOSL will have to obtain loans to meet the costs adding to the already debt burden. The project will not contribute to the finances of the country as according to CLC, GOSL will be denied the tax for 25 years. This will cause a massive financial burden on the government. There appears to be no economic analysis based on the fact that Sri Lanka will be denied tax from the income of the CPP and GOSL is responsible to provide all service including water, power, telecommunication etc.

Improper land use is one of the pressing problems in the country. Landslides, water shortages, floods and wild elephant damage is due to ineffective land use. Colombo Port City Project (PCP) is another example of improper land use. When there are large extents of land near the city which are ineffectively used, filling up nearly 250 hectares of sea with rocks and sand, which is likely to have an adverse effect on the environment and the socio economic situation of the country, is absurd. Dr. C.S.Weeraratna Via email