By Ranil Senanayake –
Ranil Senanayake
The concern of the impact of large high-rises on the environment and health of the citizens of Colombo, can be addressed by an innovative plan proposed to the Prime Minister By the Ministry of Megapolis. They have suggested options to use the filled land to develop a world class gateway to the City of Colombo. Their option 2 (below) suggests a framing of the city of Colombo by a very high net worth, low rise development and series of open areas and attractions that have will move Colombo to becoming a garden city with high visitor and income potential based on Singapore’s 1.8 million visitors per annum into their new Botanic experience, Sri Lanka will gain more with less negative impact on the city of Colombo if such new designs on the use of our land is considered. WE wait the response from the Prime Ministers office.
Spring Koha / January 18, 2016
Mr Senanayake
You are so cruel. This revision, if accepted, will end the dream of the Rajapaksa boys and their abiththaya’s for a modern F! Grand Prix track.
Still, there is little bit of jungle left over in Mattala for a very nice F1 track to be built – unless the elephants protest!
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Don Stanley / January 19, 2016
Thank you Mr. Senanayake for your great work – please keep it up!
Today 3 Chinese War Ships have entered the Colombo port. The Indian Ocean is being militarized in the guise of the Chinese Silk route. This is dangerous for everyone as there is big arms build up and arms race happening – also in the South China sea. Sri Lanka needs to tread carefully of be caught up in big power struggles.
Some people think that Colombo can turn into Dubai! With Climate change and accelerated Sea level rise, coastal erosion, and global financial downturn this is simply not the right time or place for another Chinese White Elephant which will be a Trojan Horse and sink the national economy and devastate the environment of Colombo.
Already the Sri Lanka economy is in a DEBT TRAP because of the Hambantota Chinese White Elephant port and air port and the bribes paid to Mahinda Jarapassa family for the Hambantota De-development projects.
Sri Lanka is becoming famous as an INTERNATIONAL HUB of Bi-partisan (SLFP-UNP)POLITICAL CORRUPTION where the people are taken in by SPIN and glossy advertisements of the Chinese white elephant company re. a mythical Colombo port city for a Chinese silk route which is really to militarize Indian Ocean.
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S.Modaya / January 19, 2016
Dead on Don and Ranil!
No more Chinese White Elephant environmental and financial disasters in the name of development in Sri Lanka.
Surely the Sinhalayas must learn from history of Chinese white elephant projects that are steeped in corruption – like Norochchlai power plant and Mattala airport!
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Bagehot / January 21, 2016
When land is reclaimed, there is a minimum holding band around it that needs to be kept vacant of heavy construction (such as high rise buildings) to prevent them from literally toppling into the sea. Think of it like a sand castle with an extra layer on the outside to keep the inner areas secure. While it is possible to design without this band, this is often not worth the extra cost as in the case of the port city. In the case of the Colombo port city, the said band was to be tarmacced and used as a roadway; in this case as an F1 track (I can think of little other use for it, although I highly doubt a track could be built with those levels of salinity and spray)
I am not sure whether you or Ranil have an engineering background but it is better to check your facts before spouting off on subjects you don’t know about.
The observations in Ranil’s previous articles remain valid.
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Punitham / January 18, 2016
Sri Lankan environmentalists can do something very beneficial to the country if the author draws their attention to the following:
Environment Circular 02/2015- Soil and Gravel Mining, http://www.environmentmin.gov.lk/web/images/pdf/circular%2002-2015%20english.pdf
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Samson / January 18, 2016
LOL! Well said Spring Koha!
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Hamlet / January 18, 2016
‘Go Green’ Sri Lanka for the betterment of Health and Wellbeing of Colombo’s Citizens!
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Punitham / January 19, 2016
One way of ‘Going Green’:
watch this and act on it:
The film TRASHED could be from any country in this globalised world:
http://www.trashedfilm.com/
Some in the developed world are very unhappy about the developing world NOT learning from the mistakes of the developed world but repeating them.
Let us all stop irresponsibly trashing the environment of our future generations.
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Jagath Fernando / January 18, 2016
Thank god the wait is over and the project is starting next month. Best news for 2016!!!
If RW can agree with the Chinese to agree the land on a lease that would be great.
We need this project more than anything. Colombomland prices have gone through the roof and as a result most projects are not viable. There is no doubt thisroject would have an impact on land prices in Colombo 1,2,3 areas for commercial development.
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Hamlet / January 18, 2016
Jagath do you want a house with no water and no sanitation in Colombo?
This is bound to happen if Colombo is expanded further, without improvement of Infrastructure
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ramona therese fernando / January 19, 2016
(1)very high net worth and (2)low rise development and series of open areas are conflicting oxymorons.
To make the concepts fit they should be :
1)Very high net worth = high rise (fulfillment of the ultra-capitalistic aspiration)
2)low rise development and series of open areas = multiplex urban and rural development, with Northern areas included (fulfillment of a democratic socialism).
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ramona therese fernando / January 19, 2016
* correction : (fulfillment of a democratic socialized capitalism).
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Dhyresh Mendis / January 19, 2016
Suburban areas are far less sustainable than their highrise counterparts, incorporating process and technology as mentioned in the below link.
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2009/11/24/high-rise-urban-farms-future
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ramona therese fernando / January 20, 2016
Dhyresh Mendis,
I wouldn’t trust all that is written in the article you shared. They are self-fulfilling prophesies based on lies told by the West, so the rest of the world will follow their outdated mega-city structure. And all the while, they themselves will move into a post-modern multiplex development, combining the urban and rural sectors through enhanced transportation.
(you won’t find them talking much about this and revealing their shiny new plans for global dominance via innovative new ways of economic design, but the implications are there to the more astute observer).
They might be enhancing their already existing cities with some greening concepts – there is nothing else they can do with them without creating even more environmental and economic disasters. But they are hardly building any more of these megapolises, and are in fact skillfully moving in the opposite direction. All the while they will beguile the rest of the lesser-advanced countries towards the antiquated early-20th-century concept of wealth via the skyscraper.
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ramona therese fernando / January 20, 2016
Dhyresh Mendis,
I wouldn’t trust all that is written in the article you shared. They are self-fulfilling prophesies based on lies told by the West, so the rest of the world will follow their outdated mega-city structure. And all the while, they themselves will move into a post-modern multiplex development, combining the urban and rural sectors through enhanced transportation.
(you won’t find them talking much about this and revealing their shiny new plans for global dominance via innovative new ways of economic design, but the implications are there to the more astute observer).
They might be enhancing their already existing cities with some greening concepts – there is nothing else they can do with them without creating even more environmental and economic disasters. But they are hardly building any more of these megapolises, and are in fact skillfully moving in the opposite direction. All the while they will beguile the rest of the lesser-advanced countries with the antiquated early-20th-century concept of wealth via the skyscraper.
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Ranjith Gunawaradana / January 20, 2016
Port City projects is more viable for country -Sri Lankan ‘s National economic development ,was that funded by People’s Republic of China.
But UNP-Ranil.www…. MS of ex-SLFP, now UNP President and CBK of Neo-Liberal their political roots goes anti- China policies which is back by Indian -RAW and US policy of Indian Ocean military strategy did not give free hand progress the ongoing projects initiated by MR Progressive and Democratic alliance.
The Port Project was standstill ,and lost billions of Rupees, as well as we lost credibility foreign direct investment by current MS, UNP and CBK junta regime that their wrong political movement and ill advice of decisions forced by Indian & US hegemonies.
The UNP-leader of Ranil.W… keep his decision on pending basis by vested interest of US and Indian to undermined national interest of Port Project give many return to capital venture will added to our growth of GDP. Indeed UNP right-wing leadership have NO national interest and Free flow of Chinese Capital into our Island.
Every part of Globe has been accepts and most welcome investment from China. Is that the fact historical mission and ground reality that Modern China not seek any type of hegemony since established 1949 leadership of Mao-Zedong of CPC and its Republic .
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ramona therese fernando / January 20, 2016
Ranjith Gunawaradana,
The investments from China that every part of the Globe is accepting is actually a makeshift interim solution before more intelligent concepts can be advanced by the Western world.
However, we hope that the Indian-RAW and US policy of Indian Ocean military strategy will not encourage us to build a land bridge, as that too will be part of the Western interests on the makeshift interim solution.
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The Professional / January 24, 2016
Two issues of concern:
a)The South Harbour extension has created a corner that is vulnerable due to wave action from South-West;
b)Colombo’s CBD has no room for expansion.
What are the options:
a)Fill the sea in the corner between South Harbour extension and Galle Face Green to mitigate the possible damage due to wave action from South-West;
b)Leave the corner alone and shift the CBD to a location close to Outer Circular Road.
Reclamation of land had been recommended by Coastal Engineers but the GOSL had no idea of a Port City then. CESMA Group of Singapore, who prepared the Plan for Western Province Megapolis in 2002, had prepared a 2-D Urban Design for the reclaimed land for extending the CBD of Colombo. Upon request by the GOSL China Harbour Engineering Company had got a Swedish Urban Design Consulting Company to prepare a comprehensive urban design for a “compact city” (Port City). The main issues that need to be addressed are;
1. Whether the infrastructure services on the main land have the capacity to accommodate the service needs of the new city;
2. Whether the CMC has the capacity to manage the new urban district or whether CMC would be allowed to charge taxes on properties in Port City;
3. Whether the rest of Colombians would be allowed to enjoy the beach created by the new city;
4. Whether the new city would dictate a lifestyle on rest of Colombo and probably on rest of Sri Lanka;
A public debate is essential but I have my doubts whether the Councilors of CMC have understood their responsibility to give this public debate a kick start.
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