The Minister of Transport and Highways, Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, announced in Parliament today (18) that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged removal of nails worth Rs. 280 million from the Kelani bridge.

The issue was raised during the parliamentary session by Kurunegala District Councilor Dayasiri Jayasekara, who sought clarification on the matter.

In his response, Minister Gunawardena confirmed that the police had already initiated an investigation into the incident and registered a complaint regarding the significant loss. Subsequently, special security measures have been put in place to safeguard the bridge from further tampering.

Highlighting the seriousness of the situation, Minister Gunawardena warned that even a small piece of iron removed from the railway tracks could lead to potentially catastrophic consequences. He emphasized that the increasing instances of such theft posed a threat not only to railway infrastructure but also to the safety of trains and passengers.

Addressing the scale of the alleged theft, Dayasiri Jayasekara raised concerns about the astonishing quantity of nails that were reportedly removed. He cited that the estimated 280 million rupees' worth of nails would amount to approximately 77 lakh kilograms of iron. Based on this calculation, it would require the removal of a staggering 1.5 million nails if 100 nails were taken out each day, taking more than 21 years to complete. However, at the alleged rate of 1300 nails being removed per day, the situation becomes even more concerning, and immediate action is deemed necessary to address the issue.

Minister Gunawardena assured the Parliament that a comprehensive report on the actual figures and the extent of the damage caused by the theft would be presented soon. He also confirmed that measures are being implemented to control the situation, and a special program has been initiated to curb such incidents of theft and safeguard critical railway infrastructure.