24 November 2021 08:17 am
Highways Minister Johnston Fernando yesterday instructed the relevant authorities to restore the Pahala Kadugannawa area on the Colombo-Kandy main road and to rebuilt the shops immediately.
The road was closed recently due to heavy showers and earth slips in that area. The landslide threat was detected near the 98th km post on the Colombo-Kandy main road. Later, one lane of the road was opened for vehicular traffic upon recommendation of the Road Development Authority (RDA) and the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO).
However, the decision to rehabilitate the area and rebuilt the shops was taken at a special meeting in Parliament.
The Minister instructed the relevant departments to properly discharge water down the slope through the culverts of the main road through suitable support structures and a drainage system to protect the stability of the landslide site.
It was also decided to develop the road with three lanes and a 3-metre wide lane on the slope as a viewing point.
In addition, instructions were given to improve the slope stability by introducing plants with suitable roots and to develop the section between the road and the rock as an ecological conservation area.
As it is a highly protected area, development work should be carried out expeditiously on the instructions of the NBRO and the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), the Minister said.