Development of Veras Ganga and Amusement Park

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, presented the Budget for 2013 in Parliament recently and among the proposals made was the expansion outside Colombo City limits by accelerating the development of the Veras Ganga basin with an investment of US$ 300 million. The relevant section of the speech:

 

33. Expansion of Greater Colombo Development Activities

33.1 Several townships outside Colombo will experience a new wave of development. The development of Veras Ganga basin to prevent frequent flooding and damages to property and infrastructure will be a major investment in the move to diversify development in the Western Province. The surrounding areas will consist of a waterfront environment providing better living facilities to the people and will also attract tourists for water-sports at the Bolgoda Lake and the Bird Sanctuary at Attidiya. Therefore, high priority will be given to accelerate the development of Veras Ganga basin to expand development frontiers of the Western Province beyond Colombo city limits with an investment of US$ 300 million.

Veras Ganga

Veras Ganga, located to the south of Colombo City, is a minor river performing the important function of draining rain water from Attidiya, Nugegoda and Maharagama area through Boralesgamuwa Lake and ending as a small lake, the northernmost water-body of the Bolgoda Lake complex.

The Veras Ganga Lake section borders the Ratmalana Airport to the West and the former Ceylon Ceramics Corporation’s neglected property with abandoned clay pits to the East.

Abandoned past proposals

I wish to highlight another proposal made by Urban Development Authority decade ago for a development proposed in the neighbourhood of Veras Ganga, which could be incorporated into the same program.

Around the year 2001, a public seminar and discussion was conducted by the Urban Development Authority to inform the public and obtain their views on two proposed projects. I too was a participant in the whole-day seminar Chaired by then Minister of Tourism Gamini Lokuge.

The seminar organised by the UDA was based on a project proposal prepared by a Town and Country Planner attached to the UDA for his Masters Degree in USA. Having completed the degree, the officer wished implementation of his vision and wished people’s participation and hence the seminar.

The two projects under discussion were: 1. An Amusement Park located on the abandoned clay pits of former Ceylon Ceramics Corporation and 2. A Tourism Zone adjacent to Bolgoda Lake. A large number of sketches illustrating the proposals impressed the public.

Amusement Park

The proposal envisaged making use of the abandoned land located by the Piliyandala Road, 500m from Boralesgomuwa junction. The property which abuts Piliyandala road extends for nearly 750m westwards ending at Veras Ganga Lake, to south of the Bellanwila Temple.

The proposal was to make use of abandoned property situated close to Colombo by building an amusement park, a facility unavailable to the public. The use of former clay pits (some over an acre in extent) was the important ingredient of the park. The proposal envisaged number of underwater items making use of the ponds as well as other facilities for entertainment. It was informed during the seminar that UDA would act as a facilitator for the park and different investors would undertake to develop separate sections of the park. Also that a number of Singaporean and local investors were interested in participating in the project.

The project when completed would convert a waste land situated close to Colombo City for entertainment of the public.

The proposed property, according to Google Map, commences from Piliyandala Road and covers a few 100 acres in extent up to Veras Ganga. The land comprises of high ground, low lying, marsh and nearly 10 water-filled pits formed by the excavation of clay, some over an acre in extent.

Even today the property is unoccupied by encroachers, possibly due to fear of their children falling into the pits.

Tourism Zone at Bolgoda Lake

The proposal was to develop an area adjacent to Bolgoda Lake as a Tourist Promotion Zone with emphasis on water sports as boating, wind surfing, water skiing, sailing, etc. taking advantage of water body’s size and proximity to Colombo.

The proposed project was very simple and called for the improvement of eight km length of road from Kahapola to Suwarapola Junction on Piliyandala-Katubedda Road. The area bounded by these roads and the Bolgoda Lake amounting approximately three sq.kms were to be gazetted as a Tourist Zone.

According to the proposal the Government will not acquire any privately-owned property, except for road widening and entire development would be in the hands of the private sector. UDA and the Tourist Board would regulate further development. This would be the cheapest Tourist Zone and closest to Colombo.

The particular area was selected for the cleanest waterfront on Bolgoda Lake with minimum pollution, easy access from Colombo, absence of polluting industries and the presence of number of small islands which could be further developed. Of these St. Mitchel Island and Penthouse Club (island) are well known.

The project covered a land area completely owned by private individuals. Although there are clusters of small land holdings, majority of lands are large parcels from half acre to 50 acres providing opportunities for development. Once the area is declared as a Tourist Area, properties in proximity to the water front are expected to be developed by private individuals and organisations. A number of uninhabited islands in the location could be offered by the Government for development offsetting cost of road development.

Fate of the proposals

People of the area left with much enthusiasm as the Chief Guest of the occasion was the MP of the area who also happened to be the Minister for Tourism. But as usual nothing was heard thereafter.

New hope

The proposals made in the Budget Speech bring hope that the over-10-year-old project proposal could be renewed and be incorporated into the Budget proposals. If the original proposer of the project did not leave the country in disappointment, he would be delighted of the opportunity to revive the project. If he did leave UDA, his files and project reports should be somewhere in the organisation.



(The writer is a Chartered Civil Engineer who graduated from Peradeniya University and has been employed in Sri Lanka and abroad. He was General Manager of State Engineering Corporation of Sri Lanka and left the position in February 2010. He is presently employed at a Chinese construction organisation. He also ran a manufacturing and a sales organisation for over a decade.)