Colombo city flood control needs coordinated effort – SJB organiser
Samagi Jana Balavegaya Borella Electorate organiser Janaka Nanda Kumara said the problem cannot be solved just by distributing rice packets after a flood.
He pointed out that the Colombo city is under water every day after rains, but this problem cannot be solved and this is a big problem faced by the citizens of Colombo.
Nanda Kumara said: We cannot prevent what nature does. When it rains, it rains enough for rivers to overflow. There are earth slips on mountains, the drought is coming. Epidemics are coming. We have to have the ability to control these. There should be a formal programme to reduce the damage caused by these disasters. Climate change has become a major problem facing the world today. Today it rains in the deserts too. Great forest areas like the Amazon are caught in drought. Ice glaciers have started to melt. Trees are growing in Antarctica. These things are happening because of climate change. It is impossible to say how these conditions will develop in the future. But the problem is that for a country like Sri Lanka, the impact of climate change is severe and it is among the countries with the most risk. In the past, these effects took place at some level. Because of this, there is a possibility that the situation will get much worse in the future. This is why being prepared is more important now than ever before.
Colombo flooded due to the rain that fell these past few days. The water levels of the Kelani River have risen and the people nearby are facing the threat of floods. In many areas of Colombo, the rain water does not drain quickly. Blockage of drainage channels due to unauthorised construction and obstruction of drainage systems due to improper disposal of garbage have led to flooding of some areas. This is not a new situation. No matter how much we talk about it, these conditions will not change. The main responsibility of solving this lies with the government agencies and officials dealing with this matter. The government has compiled so many laws, but they are not implemented properly by these institutions. Not only government officials but also the people have a duty to help prevent these situations. The government cannot do everything. Whatever happens, the people will suffer in the end when a problem occurs.
“Also, early warning should be done properly in disaster management. Next, we should be pre- prepared to save people from future disasters. Distributing rice packets after a flood will not suffice,”he said.
“What I see is that in this matter there is no good coordination between these related institutions. Even though today’s technology is at the highest level, these things work in old ways. These should be more qualitative and efficient”.
“In the case of constructions carried out with or without permission, especially Local Government bodies, Divisional Secretariat offices should act based on construction laws and conditions according to urban plans related to their jurisdiction. However, they are not being implemented properly and efficiently. Approval is obtained for improper plans by paying bribes. If there is an unauthorized construction, officials have the power to remove it. But that does not happen. These conditions have caused not only natural disasters but also other social problems. It is the responsibility of public representatives who care about the welfare of the people to prevent these in the future and to correct the mistakes that have been made,” Kumara said.
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