Decentralise Colombo for economic gain

Colombo has become the hive of activity in all the commercial and trading spheres, drawing more than 70% of the population from suburban cities from all directions. All modes of transport bring in people to Colombo, causing immense congestion.

If Colombo is decentralised and offices are split-up and drifted away from Colombo along all the main highways to a distant of at least 25 kilometres, buses and trains coming to Colombo will not have to go back empty, wasting fuel and tyres.

Decentralisation of Government secretarial services has already been done to a certain extent through the Local Government bodies, including Provincial Councils, but the private and public sector services can be decentralised further.

The way that decentralisation has been done to a certain extent along the Galle Road up to Moratuwa is commendable and the same program should be implemented along Kandy and Negombo roads. In this process, job opportunities could be made available outside Colombo as well, and economical benefits can be derived by transporting passengers to and fro.

Multi-storeyed buildings should be diverted away from Colombo and core banking, schools, Government offices, wholesale and retail trading, and hospitals too should be decentralised. Land value, job availability, and all commercial operations should be evenly spread out to other areas away from Colombo, so that the remote areas too will acquire land value, prestige, and importance as much as that of Colombo.

‘Colombo type’ schools, hospitals, and other offices and establishments should be set up in remote principal towns as well, instead of fattening only those in Colombo.

A research team should be appointed to make a feasibility study and report to the Government, so that the massive crowd that comes to Colombo every morning can be dispersed and diverted away from Colombo. This ‘research program’ can be entrusted to a team of university students as a ‘project’ in the course of their studies.

Anthony. J. Perera

Makola