• City dwellers will  be encouraged to grow essential food crops in their home gardens
• Arrangements have been made to open soup kitchens within the Colombo city
• Cash vouchers worth Rs 3,000 for the low-income earners

 By Yohan Perera   

Warning that Colombo City will run out of food by September  this year, the Mayor of Colombo Rosy Senanayake yesterday said the  Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) will start cultivating essential food crops in 600 acres of land within the city shortly.   

Ms. Senanayake told a media briefing that CMC is planning  to start up an agriculture project to grow crops, while city dwellers will  be encouraged to grow essential food crops in their home gardens.   

“Around 60 per cent of Colombo City population who are  low-income earners will be affected by the food shortage. I do not  intend to frighten anyone but only want to inform and prepare people for  the impending crisis,” she said.   
She said arrangements have been made to open soup kitchens  within the city and to provide cash vouchers worth Rs 3,000 for the low-income earners.   

“We are currently carrying out a dialogue with World Food  Programme, Global Food and Agriculture Organisation and other donor  agencies to ensure food security of city dwellers,” she also said.   

Also, she said the CMC will also focus on food wastage  that is taking place in the city. Around 350 MT of food is wasted in  the Colombo city daily. We want to reduce this so that it will help  ensure food security in the city,” the Mayor said.   

In addition, the Mayor said many of those who earn a daily  income including three-wheeler drivers in the city have lost their  livelihood due to the economic crisis.   

• Many of those who earn a daily  income including three-wheeler drivers in the city have lost their  livelihood