Haphazard solutions wouldn’t work for a deep-rooted problem - EDITORIAL

After the recent floods in some areas in Colombo and downstream of Kelani Ganga authorities were heard speaking about plans to mitigate the effects of future floods.  

President Ranil Wickremesinghe after an inspection tour in those areas such as Kolonnawa, Kelaniya, and Ambatale instructed officials to relocate the Mulleriyawa and IDH Hospitals to alternative locations. He had posted it in his X account as well on June 3.

Senior Presidential Advisor on National Security and Chief of Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka who also visited the flood-hit areas on June 7 told the media that in light of the severe flood risk, plans are afoot to establish a new city “along the Kelani River bank,” designed to provide comprehensive amenities including hospitals, schools, and residential complexes. 

A state-owned newspaper also in its coverage of Ratnayaka’s visit to the flood-affected people stated that President Wickremesinghe has decided to move the Kolonnawa city from its location to a higher ground in the same area. Hospitals, schools, houses and shopping complexes which are currently in low-lying areas, will be set up on higher ground under the new city plan.

The President’s Media Division meanwhile said on June 3 that the Cabinet approval has been granted to appoint a committee chaired by the Colombo District Secretary and comprising representatives of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the Department of Irrigation. This committee will inquire into the possible root causes of the floods in the Kolonnawa area and recommend remedial measures.

They will also prepare a comprehensive Development Plan for the Kolonnawa Divisional Secretariat Division, focusing on reorganising the town and maximising the utilisation of available lands.

There are some interesting but puzzling observations in these media stories. Why should the authorities want to relocate the IDH and Mulleriyawa hospitals and the Kolonnawa town when they are situated in the highlands? In fact, they are situated in the highest locations in the area. The Kelani River Basin has been hit by two major floods during the past 50 years – in 1989 and 2016 - with tens of thousands of houses on either bank of the river being inundated, leaving millions of people destitute. However, these two hospitals and the Kolonnawa town were intact during both those disasters.  

Before 1989, floods have been a common phenomenon on either side of the Kelani River from Hanwella to the estuary of the river. And we had two devastating floods after that. Yet, according to the President’s media Division, it is only now a committee is going to inquire into the possible root causes of the floods in the area. 

However, various governments had launched programmes to address the flood threat in the Kelani River Basin before but were abandoned halfway through or failed. During the Yahapalana Government, a plan was put in place under the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry. 

The then Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, Champika Ranawaka told the media a few days ago that subsequent to the studies conducted by the World Bank and the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) his ministry launched 15 projects aimed at prevention of floods involving Kelani Ganga, but only 6 projects with three pumping stations were completed before that government was defeated. He expressed confidence that there wouldn’t be flood threats in Colombo or in the suburbs had the remaining projects been completed. Ironically however, the UNP leader President Ranil Wickremesinghe who was then the Prime Minister seems to have forgotten the plan despite the involvement of the World Bank in it. 

In a feature article in the World Bank website in 2014, it has been pointed out that the Bank was to lend $213 million through the Metro Colombo Urban Development Project after severe flooding in 2010. Again, following the devastating floods in 2016, the World Bank had approved a US $ 310 million loan in 2019, to reduce and mitigate the flood risks in the lower Kelani basin in Colombo. 

After all these projects and plans involving billions of rupees having announced or haphazardly implemented, the authorities, as if just woken up from a deep slumber, have appointed a committee to look into the root cause of the problem. Did the World Bank fund the previous projects without knowing the root cause? And before the committee finish its task, they have planned new cities and relocation of existing towns and hospitals.