Video: Beire Lake will be completely rehabilitated-Gota

5 October 2012 07:46 am

Secretary Defence and Urban Development Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday said that the long neglected Beire Lake will be completely rehabilitated.

“Its gates, tributaries and output channels will be unblocked and improved, and the pollution that has been caused by unauthorised settlements and buildings will be addressed. Once the project is completed, the Beire Lake will be transformed from its present state to a worthy centerpiece for a revitalised city,” Mr. Rajapaksa said.

He made this comment addressing the 6th Annual Session of the Institute of Environmental Professionals Sri Lanka at the Water’s Edge hotel in Battaramulla.

He also said that the Metro Colombo Urban Development Project that has been undertaken by the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development is a five-year long undertaking financed through a World Bank loan that addresses a number of issues that have long troubled the city. Primarily, it will address the various flood and drainage issues that Colombo suffers from due to its rapid, organic growth over many decades. The city's drainage infrastructure, including its micro drainage channels, primary and secondary canals and lakes will be improved.

Commenting on the billboards, the defence secretary said that “these billboards are eyesores that obscure the greenery of the city and detract from its natural beauty, and this is a problem that needs to be addressed comprehensively. Instructions have been given to the Municipal Authorities to regulate billboards better, and the people who put up billboards should be advised to consider more effective ways of advertising. If billboards do have to be put up, it is better that they use modern methods such as electronic billboards in permitted areas, rather than put up large billboards in various places, thereby ruining the atmosphere of the city. We need the greenery and beauty of our urban spaces to stand out, and the rationalisation of billboards will be essential for this.”

The full text of the speech made by Secretary Defence and Urban Development at the opening ceremony of the 6th Annual Sessions of the Institute of Environmental Professionals Sri Lanka