Solving Colombo's problems

Mayoral aspirant Vasudeva Nanayakkara has promised Colombo residents a clean city by ridding it of the garbage problem that has become a sore issue with City Fathers over the years.

We hope this would not be just another promise at election time. Colombo folk have travelled this road before. To date no permanent system has been devised to tackle this most vexed problem affecting the City with the CMC and other responsible authorities only ever willing to pass the buck placing the blame at each other's doorstep.

Today we have garbage heaps dotting the city landscape with even plush residential areas becoming ready dumping grounds and public complaints falling on deaf ears reducing Sri Lanka's Commercial hub to a veritable eyesore. It was only three weeks ago that the Daily News in an expos‚ of the garbage problem brought to the notice of the City Fathers the lamentable situation at the Maligawatte residential complex, to cite just one example.

Pictures of overflowing garbage dumps with animals foraging did little to wake up the City administration. It appears that no one seems to care while the problem keeps worsening by the day where Colombo, which was once described as the Garden City of Asia, keeps wallowing in filth.

One wonders if there is any other capital in the world which has suffered such neglect and deprivation like the present Colombo City. Times have been legion where TV channels exposed the plight of people who live surrounded by garbage mountains. But nothing seems to have changed.

We believe that Vasu, if elected, would stem the rot and make the City a habitable place for the beleaguered ratepayers who have endured enough agony. Being an ardent socialist and identified with the common man and working class we have no doubt that he could engineer a turnaround and pull the City out of its sorry plight.

The plans devised by him for scientific treatment of garbage like recycling to produce bio gas should be pursued with vigour. In addition to being a ready revenue earner to the CMC, this could also provide a cheap source of domestic fuel that could reduce the impact of frequent gas price hikes.

He has cited the examples of China and India where garbage, instead allowing to be a problem, is profitably converted with beneficial results. Similar schemes were drawn up here in the past as well but they never saw the light of day.

We hope Vasu who has not yet been tested at the top would deliver the goods in keeping with his ideals and vision. Garbage is not the only problem that besets the City.

The new Mayor, whoever it may be, should pay his attention to the parlous state of the civic amenities particularly public conveniences. It is estimated that at any given time there is a floating population of a million people in Colombo. Their needs have to be catered to.

But some of the toilet facilities provided by the CMC to this army of masses is best left to the imagination. There is also the need to rid the City of squatters and illegal constructions. Even after frequent "operations" we still see pavements taken over by traders pushing pedestrians to the road. The new Mayor should take immediate steps to stop the city from going under floods after even a small downpour.

A complete overhaul of the centuries old sewage system should be undertaken. At least the Capital city should be spared this embarrassment. There is also the eyesore of polluted canals and waterways running through slum settlements carrying with them disease and pestilence. Immediate steps should be taken to clean up these waterways.

These are gigantic tasks before the Mayoral aspirant whoever he may be. Bold decisions are called for if Colombo is to be restored to its once-resplendent state.