{"id":55071,"date":"2016-05-28T23:46:51","date_gmt":"2016-05-29T05:46:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=55071"},"modified":"2016-05-28T14:53:41","modified_gmt":"2016-05-28T21:53:41","slug":"floods-fish-or-cut-bait-or-fishing-in-troubled-waters-or-like-ostriches-hide-their-heads-in-the-sand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2016\/05\/28\/floods-fish-or-cut-bait-or-fishing-in-troubled-waters-or-like-ostriches-hide-their-heads-in-the-sand\/","title":{"rendered":"Floods: Fish or cut bait or Fishing in Troubled Waters??? or like Ostriches \u00a0Hide\u00a0Their\u00a0Heads\u00a0in the Sand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Sarath Obeysekera \/Ex Chairman\u00a0 SLLRDC<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

Right for an opinion \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n

I noted that The Island finally came up \u00a0today in the editorial with the root course of the problem of flooding . Publication and feature articles by so called eminent Irrigation Engineers blaming\u00a0 the flooding problem on few \u00a0bridges \u00a0and some good work done by \u00a0SLLRDC under all the \u00a0regime along the canal \u00a0is all hum bug .<\/p>\n

Editorial today has nailed the root course of the issues and also confirmed by the Prime Minister in the Parliament ( I am sure that when \u00a0PM mentioned this some MP\u2019s would have hidden under tables ( like Ostriches \u00a0Hide<\/strong>\u00a0Their\u00a0Heads<\/strong>\u00a0in the Sand\u00a0<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Main cause of the flooding\u00a0 is the encroachments and unauthorised filling of low \u00a0\u00a0lying areas in Kotte ,Heen Ela ( near Lake Drive) and the vicinity of canals \u00a0passing Kirimandala Mawaatha \u00a0and Madiwela marshes \u00a0by many scrupulous business men\u00a0 and politicians.<\/p>\n

\"ostritch\"<\/p>\n

Let me start with Kotte .I reiterated earlier that main cause of the flooding of Kotte is the building of parliament which destroyed the serene natural beauty and few historical places of Kottte.<\/p>\n

Near the parliament roundabout\u00a0\u00a0 there was a historically significant place called Kottagamtota which is mentioned in Selalihini Sandeshaya ( please correct ,me if\u00a0 I am wrong ).All the marshes surrounding Kotte Ramparts were destroyed ..Water reaching the sea via Kotte and Madiwela marshes has to flow partly via Kollonawa and partly thru Heen Ela Marsh .<\/p>\n

Cooray Mawatha marsh where canal crosses Nawala Road\u00a0 has been\u00a0 filled by\u00a0 a building contractor who filled by force using political patronage .Famous Eagle Palace given to ex-president by the leader of the Labour party was in the marsh .Filling and building despite protest by SLLRDC ,and also \u00a0Cooray Mawath filling has been one of the causes of obstruction of free flow from Kotte March \u00a0to Heen Ela<\/p>\n

Let me tell you about Heen Ela .SLLRDC is also a culprit (despite my involvement at a later stage ) filled the Victory Gardens in Heen Ela and gave lands not only to their officers \u00a0,but to some eminent judges .<\/p>\n

I had to even sign the deed of the land from Heen Ela land given to an ex chief justice at 15000 Rs per perch \u00a0and immediately sold at an exorbitant price !This area is behind the Oasis hospital\u00a0 and along the right bank of the Heen Ela .<\/p>\n

SLLRDC shifted the equipment yard which was burnt by JVP after signing of the Indian peace accord , from Kotte to Heen Ela left bank where current Redeco factory and the offices are located ( they should shift the filled land to may be to\u00a0 Muthurajawela?)<\/p>\n

Along the Kirimandala Mawatha which crosses this Marsh is also filled by Ceylinco to build a hospital, and right side also now used for stocking of sea sand .
\nTo add to this misery of filling over 200 acres of land ,a\u00a0 hitherto retention area was filled to build a playground instigated\u00a0 by an important politician during last few years.SLLRDC filled the right side of Lake drive behind the Golf Course which has taken another 10 \u00a0acres .<\/p>\n

Another area was filled further to build a row of houses for a Politician. Left side of the Lake drive was filled by another businessman who even threatened me for warning him and for stopping to build a bridge across Lake drive Canal which restricts water flow .( I was told by the President to withdraw the police complain as he was one of the supporters at that time !)<\/p>\n

The canal of Heen Ela crossing the Nawala Narahenpia Road is severely restricted by some new houses which came up during last few years ,and I never allowed that canal bank to be filled .On the left side of the crossing ,Lanka Wall tile has filled and severely blocking flow of water which joins the \u00a0canal coming from Nawala marshes .Further down Open university built a bridge to cross Nawala\u00a0 Narahenpita Road .<\/p>\n

If you drive along all the lanes to left and right of Nawala Rajagiriya Road you will see what a destruction has been done to all the marshes which were reserved for flood retention .<\/p>\n

Finally the canal and river outfalls.<\/p>\n

Installing mammoth pumps at canal outlets to pump water out is a stupid idea and it can never help the flow of flood waters .What the authorities can do is find a way to quickly remove the band banks forming at outlets ,my manually or by using a dredging mechanism.<\/p>\n

Finally extended delay of Kelani water subsiding is not only due to formation of sand bank at Kelani outfall ,and also blocking few outlets from Hamilton Canal for building roads.\u00a0 Kelani water trying to escape to sea from the blocked river outlet through Hamiton Canal flooded the area along Elakanda Road ..<\/p>\n

Formation of sand banks of Kelani outfall is severely aggravated by building of the Break water of South Harbour ( you can check with Lanka Hydraulic Institute and verify)<\/p>\n

This break water has directly has an effect of Marine Hydrology ,which causes change of wave pattern and diveting towards\u00a0 Kelani Outfall and forms a very high sand bank .<\/p>\n

ONLY WAY TO PREVENT \u00a0KELANI RIVER \u00a0FLOODING OTHER THAN CONTROLLING THE REMAINING RETENTION LANDS ALONG THE VALLEY IS TO MOVE ALL THE INSUSTRIAL \u00a0YARDS OUT OF THAT AREA\u00a0 AND TO DEVICE A METHOD TO DREDGE THE SEA OUTLET BY MECHANICAL OR HUDRAUILC MECHANISM .SURELY NOT BY INSTALLING MAMATH PUMPS<\/p>\n

\u00a0I may have to also hide my head for being part of this mess like an Ostriches \u00a0Hide\u00a0Their\u00a0Heads\u00a0in the Sand !!!!!!!!!!!!!<\/em><\/p>\n

Dr Sarath Obeysekera \/Ex Chairman\u00a0 SLLRDC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr Sarath Obeysekera \/Ex Chairman\u00a0 SLLRDC Right for an opinion \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026 I noted that The Island finally came up \u00a0today in the editorial with the root course of the problem of flooding . Publication and feature articles by so called eminent Irrigation Engineers blaming\u00a0 the flooding problem on few \u00a0bridges \u00a0and some good work done […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-forum"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55071","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55071"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55071\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}