By The Pulseline News Desk
Cabinet Spokesman, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has attributed the recent flooding in several parts of Colombo to decades of inadequate drainage infrastructure, unauthorised constructions, irregular settlements and improper waste disposal, warning that substantial investment and coordinated action will be needed to address the city’s recurring flood problems.
Jayatissa has said Colombo’s drainage and canal network extended approximately 469 kilometres within the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) limits, but only around 20 kilometres had undergone upgrades through rehabilitation and maintenance programmes since 2014.
He has said the improvements had been designed to accommodate rainfall of up to 102 millimetres per hour, but the limited extent of rehabilitation meant that much of the city’s drainage infrastructure remained inadequate to cope with increasingly intense rainfall.
While certain areas that previously experienced prolonged flooding had seen improvements following the upgrades, the Minister has acknowledged that considerable further investment and rehabilitation would be necessary to improve the city’s overall drainage capacity.
129mm rainfall in just two hours
Referring to the recent flooding, including the inundation of parts of the National Hospital premises, Jayatissa has said approximately 129 millimetres of rainfall had been recorded within a two-hour period.
He has pointed out that previous rainfall records had generally been measured over a 24-hour period, highlighting the intensity of the recent downpour.
The Minister has said rainfall of between 130 and 150 millimetres within a short period could overwhelm existing drainage systems, particularly when the flow of water was obstructed by accumulated garbage and other debris.
He has also identified unauthorised constructions and settlements along drainage reservations as major obstacles to maintaining and improving the canal network.
Eight houses obstruct Norris Canal rehabilitation
Addressing the flooding around the National Hospital, Jayatissa has said the Colombo Municipal Council was carrying out cleaning operations along the Norris Canal.
However, eight houses remained within the affected area, complicating efforts to complete the rehabilitation work.
He has said attempts to relocate the occupants had yet to be resolved, despite a proposal to provide compensation amounting to Rs. 11 million.
The situation, he has suggested, illustrated the practical difficulties authorities faced in clearing obstructions and restoring the capacity of the city’s drainage network.
Government institutions to coordinate response
Responding to questions about the Colombo Municipal Council’s responsibility for the recent flooding, Jayatissa has said the problem could not be attributed solely to the performance of the current administration over the past two-and-a-half to three years.
Instead, he has pointed to longstanding infrastructure deficiencies and urban development problems that had accumulated over several years.
He has said a coordinated programme involving several government institutions, with the intervention of the Presidential Secretariat, was currently underway to address Colombo’s drainage and flooding problems.
The Minister has stressed that officials responsible for the relevant institutions must take responsibility and accelerate remedial measures rather than allow existing problems to persist.
He has also appealed to the public to refrain from dumping non-biodegradable waste into drains and canals, warning that improper waste disposal further restricted water flow and increased the risk of flooding.
Jayatissa has emphasised that while infrastructure improvements and institutional coordination were essential, public cooperation would also be critical to preventing recurring floods in Colombo.
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