By The Pulseline News Desk
Theft of electrical cables, copper wires, streetlight poles and other equipment along the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway has resulted in significant losses, with an audit report revealing that 100 theft incidents were reported between 2021 and 2023.
According to the 2024 audit report, the value of assets stolen in 11 of the incidents was estimated at Rs. 580 million, while the value of the items stolen in the remaining incidents had not been assessed.
The findings have reportedly raised concerns over security and asset protection along one of Sri Lanka’s key transport corridors, particularly as the cost of restoring damaged infrastructure is estimated to exceed Rs. 1.77 billion.
Cables vulnerable to theft
The audit has identified the installation method of electrical cables along the expressway median as a particular security concern.
It has noted that the cables could be easily cut and removed because of the manner in which they had been installed, creating a vulnerability that could be exploited by thieves.
The theft of cables and other electrical equipment has not only resulted in the loss of public assets but has also created additional costs for restoring damaged infrastructure.
The audit has estimated that repairing the damage caused across the entire expressway would cost more than Rs. 1.77 billion.
The scale of the estimated repair cost is significantly higher than the value of the 11 thefts for which losses had been assessed, highlighting the wider financial impact associated with damage to expressway infrastructure.
Questions over accountability
The audit has also raised concerns over action taken to identify those responsible for the thefts.
Despite 100 incidents being reported over the three-year period, sufficient action had reportedly not been taken to identify the perpetrators and establish responsibility for the losses.
This has added an accountability dimension to the findings, with the audit effectively highlighting both weaknesses in the protection of public infrastructure and shortcomings in following up reported thefts.
The incidents had occurred between 2021 and 2023, but the financial implications have extend beyond the immediate loss of stolen equipment, with the authorities now facing substantial expenditure to repair and restore damaged facilities.
A costly infrastructure vulnerability
The Colombo-Katunayake Expressway is a critical link between Colombo and Bandaranaike International Airport and serves as one of the country’s most important road infrastructure assets.
The audit findings have indicated that vulnerabilities in the design and installation of electrical infrastructure can translate into recurring maintenance costs when adequate preventive measures are not in place.
The Rs. 1.77 billion repair estimate also places the issue beyond that of isolated thefts, pointing to the potential cost to the State of failing to adequately protect infrastructure after it has been installed.
The findings are likely to raise questions over whether existing security arrangements, surveillance systems and infrastructure designs are sufficient to prevent the removal of valuable electrical components from expressways.
The audit has therefore highlighted the need not only to investigate past thefts but also to address the physical vulnerabilities that have made the infrastructure susceptible to repeated losses.
With 89 theft incidents still lacking a determined value, the full financial impact of the losses may also be considerably higher than the Rs. 580 million already identified.
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