Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa addressed the flooding of roads and several locations caused by heavy rains across the Colombo Municipal Council limits during the Cabinet media briefing held today (10). The Minister stated that the total length of the drainage system and canals in the city stands at 469 kilometres.

He pointed out that upgrades carried out since 2014 have prepared only about 20 kilometres out of this network to withstand rainfall of 102 mm per hour, and much remains to be done.

Key Points

  • Only 20 km out of 469 km of drains and canals in the Colombo Municipal Council area have been upgraded.
  • An intense rainfall of 129 mm within two hours caused the severe flooding.
  • Minister urges public support to stop unauthorized constructions, illegal settlements, and garbage dumping.

National Hospital flooding and maintenance issues

Noting that the National Hospital premises were inundated, the Minister explained that eight houses could not be cleared during the cleaning of Norris Canal, and although attempts were made to pay a compensation of Rs. 11 million, it has not yet been resolved.

He added that while historical records accounted for 24-hour periods, this time an intense rainfall of 129 mm or between 130 to 150 mm fell within just two hours, which was a major factor behind the water accumulation.

"The total length of the drainage system and these canals within the Colombo Municipal Council area is 469 kilometres. Through the renovations, repairs, and interventions carried out since 2014, only about 20 kilometres out of these 469 kilometres have been prepared to drain water during a rainfall of 102 mm per hour." - Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa

Solutions and public responsibility

The Minister mentioned that drains are obstructed not only due to the age of the drainage system, but also as a result of unauthorized constructions and improper garbage disposal.

He further stated that an accelerated program is currently being implemented jointly with several institutions, including the Presidential Secretariat, and urged the public to extend their cooperation by refraining from dumping non-biodegradable waste into drains.