Present government under the directives of President Maithripala Sirsena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has planned to implement the Megapolis development plan covering the entire Western Province.
With the implementation of this gigantic project, it is expected that there will be an increased demand for essential utility services such as transport, electricity, water, drainage and waste disposal.
Accordingly, the Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka last week presented a Cabinet Memorandum to take several actions to face the above challenges and it was approved as a policy by the Cabinet of Ministers.
The proposal of Minister Ranawake includes the improvements to road system. It propose the extension of the Baseline Road to Galle Road, extension of Polduwa – Koswatta Road, which is under construction to Kelaniya via Kolonnawa, widening the road section of 120 bus route from Pamankada Bridge to W.A. Silva Mawatha, construction of a new express transport way from multimodal transport hub in Makumbura to Mahenawatta Science and Technology City, construction of new flyovers in Kohuwala junction and Railway crossing near Castle Hospital, construction of multimodal transport hubs in Battaramulla, Katunayake, Kadawatha, Moratuwa, and Panadura and regularizing the bus service reaching the town, and the extension of proposed elevated road from Kelani Bridge to Rajagiriya via Orugodawatta to outer circular highway covering Battaramulla administrative city. The Ministry of Higher Education and Highways has already taken steps to implement some of these activities.
Under the Solid Waste Management, it expects to improve of municipal solid waste disposal yards using sorting or burning technology.
Further, the development of big reservoirs in Seethawaka Ganga and Wee Oya which are branches of Kelani River, use of recycled waste water for non-drinking purposes, and desalinate of sea water using electricity in off peak hours also proposed to affirm the required water supply demand.
