Over to you Minister of Highways, Mayor CMC and UDA

Almost all vehicle users on the Galle Road travelling towards Wellawatte are subjected to severe traffic congestion that occurs every day due to the market users blocking the Galle bound traffic when trying to turn into the Bambalapitiya market.

This situation is further aggravated due to the queuing of buses at the nearby bus halts, frequently this back log of traffic even extends beyond the colour lights at the Bauddhaloka Mawatha/Galle Road Junction.

This problem could have been permanently solved long ago, if the 30ft wide road reservation planned and demarcated about 50 years ago on the Street line maps of the CMC connecting the Bambalapitiya CMC market on Galle Road to the Duplication Road was implemented, but due to some mysterious reasons the central potion of about 75 metres, which served previously as a public foot path, has been left unconnected although it is traversing a vacant land, whereas about 25 metres from the Galle Road CMC market side end and another 35 metres from the Duplication Road end is already constructed.

This interconnecting road if opened would considerably ease the obstruction of traffic on Galle Road and also parking problems for traffic near the Bambalapitiya CMC market junction.

Further it would provide, the much needed outlet for traffic from Galle Road to Duplication Road since the presently used Daisy Villa Avenue is totally inadequate for this purpose, as it is only about 15ft. wide and further aggravates traffic problems on Galle Road.

Several letters addressed to the Mayor of Colombo, CMC officials and S.S.P. Traffic last year, has not led to the opening up of this vital link road although it is the highest priority for easing the congestion to traffic along Galle Road near the CMC market and also provide alternative parking facilities since both Galle Road and Duplication Road have now been declared as no parking zones.

This link road when opened would benefit all Galle Road users, Traffic Control Officers, as well as remove blemishes surrounding the prestigious Majestic City and Unity Plaza environments, whilst saving millions of rupees in extra fuel consumption (Foreign exchange) as well as valuable time lost, if the much delayed opening up of this road reservation could be expedited.

Piyasiri M. L. Hettige
Maharagama

Over to you Environment Minister and Mayor Dehiwala - Mt. Lavinia MC

Since late, the removal and disposal of garbage especially in the Mt. Lavinia area, where I reside, has been deplorable, to say the least. If one motors down Templers Road and certain areas of Attidiya Road, one can see piles of garbage on either side of the road literally stinking to the high heavens.

What is most intriguing is that disposal of garbage in certain areas of the Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia Municipal area is very effectively carried out. When I made inquiries relating to this discrimination in the removal of garbage, I have been reliably informed that it depends on the Public Health Inspector (PHI) in charge of the area/region, or whether a VIP is resident in the area.

An excuse commonly trotted out for non-collection of garbage is that there is no place to dump the collected garbage. Apparently, these areas are filled to capacity, or they are water-logged.

One is reminded about the mountains of garbage in the Mattakkuliya area, which is often depicted in the newspapers, and is a serious environment problem, and a veritable health hazard.

Recently I read an interesting news item in the foreign news page of the Daily News. It relates to the disposal of garbage in Beijing, the capital city of the Republic of China, where there is apparently a huge garbage problem.

The Municipality of Beijing had invested in several incinerators, where collected garbage is burnt. It is stated in this same news item that this process has also helped to generate electricity. I do not know how or why!

It this news item is correct, surely we can approach the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Colombo, and find out how Beijing has solved its garbage problem. They will be glad to help us being a friendly country.

The Minister in charge of Environment and Natural Resources, should take the initiative in this matter. If we are able to solve the solid waste management problem that confronts us, the Municipal authorities of Colombo, Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia and Moratuwa, where there is an immense garbage problem, can benefit from such an exercise, and the country as a whole can solve some of its environmental problems and associated health hazards!

M. L. U. Malalgoda
Ratmalana

Over to you Chairman Panadura UC

Sri Maha Vihara Road Panadura is perhaps the only road in this area that has been utterly neglected for over a long period of time. Not only is the road full of potholes, its drains on either side are either non-existent or broken and dilapidated.

Apart from the residential houses on both sides of the road, Galgoda Sri Maha Viharaya, one of the oldest temples in Panadura and the Khethumathie Women’s Hospital, the only women’s hospital outside Colombo are also situated on this road. This is also the road that is used to divert traffic from the Galle Road during traffic congestion.

During rainy weather, residents living on either side of the road face two major problems. One is that they cannot walk on the road without getting drenched and/or falling on the road.

The other problem is that the unbuilt and broken drains overflow into the gardens of people making living hazardous for them. In dry weather dust has become a problem not only to road users but also to those living inside their houses.

This is not a problem unknown to the Panadura Urban Council (UC) which is situated a stone’s throwaway from this neglected road. When a resident complains at the UC office, some labourers are sent to the place who clear the drains in front of his house and go away. This does not solve the problem.

This is a short road. Why cannot the UC at least clean up the entire drains on both sides of the road, so that the rain water will not spill over to our gardens? This is a matter that could be put to right by the UC if they really want to do it.

V. K. Wijeratna
Panadura

Over to you Minister of Transport

Although about two months have gone by, the appeal for relief to commuters served by the Udahamulla bus depot route no. 112 has had no response from you. Hence we repeat this appeal.

1. A bus on route no 112 which leaves the Udahamulla bus depot around 6.15 a.m. is chock-a-block with office workers, which surprisingly includes schoolchildren, when this bus reaches the stand opposite the super market Nugegoda.

It is relevant to state that this is the only bus that serves commuters on this route, who are employed in Galle Road from Dickman’s Road onwards.

2. School buses to Vishaka Vidyalaya, Isipathana College, Mahanama, Anula Vidyalaya run practically empty wasting a colossal expenditure of Government revenue, as schoolchildren are accommodated in passenger buses meant for office workers.

3. The huge number of office workers who travel from near the super market Nugegoda to Galle Road are handicapped for reasons enumerated above.

We appeal to you to give us relief by directing that two buses operate to Fort via Galle Road from the stand opposite the Nugegoda super market between 6.00 a.m. and 7.15 a.m. We hope you as the Minister in charge of Transport will remedy this daily problem of Nugegoda commuters.

N. J. PERERA
Nugegoda