Plans to turn Viharamaha Devi Park and other CMC lands into vegetable gardens
Plots inside Viharamaha Devi Park as well as premises surrounding the Municipal Slaughterhouse will be among the 9.5 acres of land identified by the Colombo Municipal Council for its urban agriculture programme, officials said.
But agriculture experts also warn that the experiment, the first to be tried in the capital, could face considerable challenges including rats and other pestilence. Meanwhile, attempts to popularise home gardens have failed in the past owing to, among other things, lack of technical know- how and agricultural inputs ( including agrochemicals) among the population.
Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake recently warned that Colombo city would run out of food by September and announced her Municipal Council would start cultivating crops. A total of 9.5 acres of Municipal-owned lands were identified for the project.
Additionally, 6,811 lots of bare lands ( amounting to around 450 acres) in Colombo belonging to private owners have also been pinpointed, officials said, adding that at least 40 percent of these can be put to use. They range from 10-15 acres to up to one acre.
These owners will be given notice by the CMC to start growing. “Under the law, these lands can be taxed annually at 2 percent of their value annually although the council has not been claiming these fees,” an authoritative source said.
The CMC’s ambitious plan, spearheaded at a political level, is still at conception and discussion stage, the officials said. Soup kitchens and Rs 3,000 cash vouchers for low- income families are also anticipated.
The larger cultivations will be done as corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects and one leading company is already on board, officials said. Other private companies are being encouraged to join in.
Separately, talks are ongoing with the Food and Agr i c u l t u re Organisation ( FAO) for support, including a training centre. A tripartite agreement between the FAO, CMC
and Western Province Agriculture Department is anticipated.
The Agriculture Ministry has also pledged inputs like free plants and, where possible, free seeds (although these are now in short supply). In the first instant, CMC hopes to grow local yams and other plants. “The strategy is being devised,” the officials said.
Th e detailed design f or Viharamaha Devi Park is also still in the works. The identified land is likely to be in the park’s centre and activities will be carried out with mini
mum hindrance to the public. Other CMC properties and even the edges of recreational grounds are also under consideration.
“One of our main objectives is also for people to realize how much efforts farmers put towards cultivation and to make conscious effort to cut down on wastage,” the officials maintained. “For this project, we hope to concentrate on compost application with minimum chemical use. In any case, we don’t have dollars to import chemicals.”