Town planning puts residents in peril
We the residents of Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia were shocked after having come to know of the UDA (Amendment) Act, No. 4 of 1982. It states the Urban Development Authority “may delegate to any officer of a local authority…any of its powers, duties and functions relating to planning… and such officer shall exercise, perform or discharge any such power, duty or function so delegated, under the direction, supervision and control of the Authority.”
This indicates that the UDA has shirked its responsibilities and enabled local councils to flout legal requirements, to the detriment of the people, especially the residents. This also negates the basic principles of town planning, which is to improve the quality of life without interfering with their health, convenience and amenities.
However, law abiding citizens believe that the present day town planning officials are allowing construction of high-rise building in highly residential areas, perhaps to impress the public, without giving thoughts to any future calamities -- natural and manmade. By their action, they place residences in adjoining areas in peril.
Justifying the construction of these high-rise buildings of five floors and above, ( as stipulated in the gazetted regulations of 1986) in residential areas, instead of locating them in specially designated areas, will amount to signing a death warrant on residents in adjoining areas.
An article on Green Buildings’ benefits, most probably published by the Ministry of Megapolis & Western Development, states that the benefits of green building can range from envi- ronmental to economic and social. Under the topic of environmental benefits, the article states, that the natural resources can be conserved along with the improvement of air and water qualities. Explaining the social benefits, it points out that the quality of life with health and comfort can be improved. These claims appear to be just hallucination rather than facts.
The ground reality is that clusters of high-rise buildings are being encouraged in prime residential areas, destroying their vegetation, depriving the residents of environment benefits, and denying cross ventilation and sunlight to the existing residential buildings as well as to the condominium residents.
Can this be construed as a healthy development and an intelligent way of people-centred town planning?
We were made to understand that the Colombo Municipal Council regulations were relaxed to develop the city as a commercial hub, in terms of a regulation gazetted in 1986 and no other council area was brought under it.
To our dismay, we found that regulations were being relaxed in other areas haphazardly, creating an illusion of splendid planning. By their uttermost indifference, the officials are placing peaceful residents on the path to calamity.
The need of this hour is to amend the development plan by professionals who maintain high standards. To save future generations and our beloved motherland from impending perils, they need to undo the damage inflicted on society due to the implementation of unethical development plans. Residents Via email