Floods - no solution yet

The rains are back in all it’s fury and inundated roads, muddy pools rotting garbage litter are once again a common sight in the city.

The current imbroglio at the Colombo Municipal Council has not helped either - not that it ever made an impact before.

Countless blueprints had been drawn up by successive Governments for the overhaul of the present drainage system which is of colonial vintage but nothing seemed to have emerged from these efforts.

With heavy rains forecast until the end of April commuters and motorists alike may well brace themselves for the long haul on the highways, compelled to endure the all too familiar traffic congestions while businessmen gear themselves up for losses due to marooned premises by flood waters.

A city bursting at the seams with an unprecedented population growth, the density of business houses, commercial enterprises, hotels, eateries, rooming abodes standing almost cheek by jowl, coupled with temporary structures, shacks, slum dwellings that have come up rapidly over the years have all combined to take a heavy toll on the derelict and dilapidated sewerage systems which naturally tends to give way even under a slight downpour.

The situation is exacerbated by the estimated floating population of one million people in the city on any given day.

It is therefore a wonder that the city sewerage system had withstood the assault all these years without complete disintegration swallowing up the entire city in a sea of squalor. The authorities should lose no time in addressing this problem with the seriousness it deserves.

One could only hope that the rains will spare the upcoming SARRC conference if for no other reasons than Colombo which was described as the garden city of Asia, would not suffer the ignominy of suffering a reversal of that tag.

What is needed is a comprehensive plan to tackle the problem of flooding instead of the ad hoc solutions that have been tried and failed all these years.

More than anything there has to be a political will to grapple with the problem. Unpopular decisions may have to be made such as relocation of dwellings and the demolition of unauthorised structures.

It is time that Colombo is converted into a modern city with a master plan to tackle all contingencies including recurrent flooding.

Steps should also be taken immediately to stop filling of lands in the outlying areas of the city which too has contributed in no small way to the periodic deluging of the city. Here too a political will is necessary in order to come down hard on the offenders.

Sanath’s exit?

From all accounts it may be the end of the road for one of Sri Lanka’s most illustrious sons who put the country on the world map with his incomparable cricketing exploits.

It is too early to say if Sanath Jayasuriya has already played his last game for the country but there will be those among his countless fans both here and abroad who may wish that he be given a fitting farewell for the sheer pleasure and joy he gave them by his mesmerising batting prowess.

Who would have imagined this lad from Matara from a virtually unknown school and reared in a humble background to one day overshadow even the country’s political leaders and film stars for sheer attraction and popularity.

It will certainly be no exaggeration to state that his deeds contributed tremendously for Sri Lanka to be taken seriously as a major cricketing power and stand on par with the creme a la cream in the cricketing world where he was not only honoured in the Wisden’s Hall of Fame but also made at least one Cricket commentator speak of him in the same breath as the legendary Don Bradman.

He was more than just a cricketer but an institution and a hero in a country woefully lacking in heroes who evoked awe and reverence in opposing teams and was one of our greatest sporting ambassadors.

His was the quintessential tale of rags to riches which went on to inspire rural youth with cricketing talent and was the catalyst in the recognition of outstation talent by the Colombo’s elite cricketing establishment. He was a role model to the youth of underprivileged backgrounds to one day make the grade.

His impact was so great not only among cricketing fans but even among the general public so much so that a typical Sanath Jayasuriya knock it was commonly accepted provided the necessary antidote for the nation to collectively overcome all mundane grievances such as a sudden rise in the price of a consumer item.

We don’t venture to say when his final epitaph would be written as a cricketer but suffice it to say that he was a beacon of hope and a rallying point to a nation to savour even a moment of collective glory amidst the gloom of despondency and despair .