The Ministry of Urban Development and Housing states that a new project has been planned to clear the land where the Bluemandhal Garbage Dump is located in Colombo and provide extensive storage facilities in the vicinity of the Sri Lanka Port.
It will be developed with an investment of US $ 15 million.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister of Urban Development and Housing has instructed the Urban Development Authority to use the land for a project that will expedite its contribution to a new investment program that will benefit the country’s economy.
The Bluemandhal garbage dump has caused various environmental problems for the area over the years.
The first plan to clear the landfill was put forward by the then Secretary to the Ministry of Defense and Urban Development, the current President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
However, the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing points out that these plans were not implemented during the last ‘Yahapalana’ government.
The Urban Development Authority is re-launching its pre-measures (2015) to develop Colombo into a beautiful city in an eco-friendly manner.
The Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, which acted on the instructions of the Prime Minister as the Minister in charge of the subject, has informed this to the Urban Development Authority and the Authority has prepared the above investment project and is currently implementing it.
The project is planned under the Government’s program to utilize government-owned unused land for long-term and short-term leases on investment projects for economic gain.
According to that action plan, the government invests only in state property based on state policy.
Anura Prarasanna, Director, Property Development Division, Urban Development Authority (UDA) said that the government will receive revenue from both investment and rent through this program, which is being carried out under a private-public partnership.
The main condition here is that the investor selected by calling for tenders should implement this project on a long-term lease basis only with his own investment in public and private partnerships.
No one is currently dumping any garbage into the Bluemandhal Garbage Dump.
Among other conditions, the investor is required to recycle the existing landfill at another suitable location, subjecting to the requirements of the Urban Development Authority.
According to the report, 70% of the existing waste at Bluemandhal Garbage Dump can be recycled.
Accordingly, non-recyclable parts such as concrete, mortar and stone should be crushed and used for reconstruction.
Among the remaining conditions, preliminary work should commence within the next three months and all development work should be completed within 18 months.
The other condition is that the rent should be paid by the investor as stated in the agreement during the project period.
This project is implemented by the Urban Development Authority with the assistance of professionally qualified external consultants and is conducted by the Property Development Division of the Urban Development Authority.
Residents of Bluemandhal express their gratitude to the government, led by the President and the Prime Minister, for clearing the site of the Bluemandhal Garbage Dump in Colombo, which has existed for many years, and for carrying out development projects there.
This project is being implemented by the Urban Development Authority on the instructions of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister of Urban Development and Housing under the guidance of State Minister of Urban Development, Waste Disposal and Community Sanitation Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, under the supervision of Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing Sirinimal Perera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority, Retired Major General Udaya Nanayakkara, Director General of the Urban Development Authority and Chartered Urban Architect Prasad Ranaweera.
