Don’t panic over Seema Malakaya rumours: Megapolis Ministry

Responding to rumours of development around Japan-Sri Lanka Friendship Road in Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte, the Megapolis Ministry today said that there would be no such land-filling in the Kimbulawala Lake.

Megapolis Additional Secretary Madhawa Waidyaratne told the Daily Mirror that only a temporary Access Road was being constructed towards the recently built Seema Malaka in Diyawanna Oya to ease off carrying building materials to the construction site.

He said the Access Road would be removed within a period of one month after the concrete structure was built.

The public-funded structure, a gift to the Amarapura Maha Sangha Sabha, was originally planned to be constructed as a floating structure.

“A construction flaw identified in one of the four water-filled barges caused the entire structure to sink midway of the construction process, therefore it was later decided to fit bars underwater as a support structure,” he said.

Mr Waidyaratne said that due to technical difficulties, the private entity that launched the project had requested the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC) for support.

He said the Ministry, considering the project as a pioneer spiritual development need, had agreed to support the company to carry out the project.

Mr Waidyaratne said SLLRDC had identified the need for a temporary access road to transport the machinery and materials to the site and had begun its work.

However, he assured that there would be no landfilling or handing over lands to any individual or company via the process.

He also explained that there was no impact to area’s water volume or no flood threat to the area because of the work.

“The Ministry request residents around the area not to panic over rumours about any threat,” her said.

The Daily Mirror in a news article dated May 26 titled Section of Seema Malakaya on Diyawanna has sunk, reported that the floating structure built by a private construction company on the Diyawanna Oya for use as a Seema Malakaya by the Amarapura Maha Sangha Sabha had partially sunk because of a construction issue. (Thilanka Kankarathna)

Video by Damith