Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya highlighted the need for non-stop preparedness to face climate change impacts during the Colombo District Coordinating Committee meeting in Narahenpita.
The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister alongside District Coordinating Committee Chairman and MP Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi. Their main agenda was evaluating the floods and disaster incidents that battered the Colombo District following heavy downpours on November 6.
Longstanding city challenges
According to the Prime Minister, Colombo's urban layout and geography make flood management particularly tough. She noted that today's trouble stems from years of unresolved problems.
She called for a complete strategy that covers waste handling, proper garbage disposal, canal upkeep, and saving low-lying lands. Clearing waterways cannot just happen as an emergency drill when floods arrive, she pointed out.
Major projects in the works
Colombo District Secretary Prasanna Janaka Kumara briefed the committee on big projects targeting rainwater issues.
These include the Kolonnawa Flood Control Project with over Rs. 15 billion linked to the Kelani River Basin Flood Control Project, alongside a Rs. 450 million waterway scheme in Kaduwela. Plans also cover rehabilitating four major canals in Kolonnawa and work on the Kelani River banks by the Department of Irrigation, while rural road works and the Praja Shakthi programme were also reviewed.
