Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has attributed the recent flooding in several parts of the Colombo Municipal Council area to a combination of inadequate drainage infrastructure, unauthorised constructions, irregular settlements and improper waste disposal.
Speaking during the weekly Cabinet media briefing today (10), Minister Jayatissa said the total length of the drainage and canal network within the Colombo Municipal Council limits is approximately 469 kilometres.
However, he noted that only around 20 kilometres of the network had been upgraded through various rehabilitation and maintenance programmes undertaken since 2014 to accommodate rainfall of up to 102 mm per hour.
The Minister noted that the limited extent of infrastructure improvements had contributed to water retention in certain areas, although some locations that previously experienced prolonged flooding had seen improvements following the upgrades.
He stressed that substantial further investment and rehabilitation work would be required to improve the overall drainage capacity of the city.
Minister Jayatissa also identified unauthorised constructions and settlements, together with improper garbage disposal, as contributing factors that obstruct the drainage system.
Referring to the recent flooding at the National Hospital premises, he said the Colombo Municipal Council was undertaking cleaning work along the Norris Canal. However, eight houses remained within the area, with efforts to relocate the occupants still unresolved despite a proposed compensation payment of Rs. 11 million.
The Minister further revealed that approximately 129 mm of rainfall had been recorded within a two-hour period, noting that previous rainfall records had generally been measured over a 24-hour period.
Responding to a question on the responsibility of the Colombo Municipal Council for the flooding, Cabinet Spokesman Jayatissa said the issue could not be attributed solely to the past two-and-a-half to three years, pointing instead to longstanding infrastructure limitations and urban development challenges.
He also noted that intense rainfall of between 130 and 150 mm within a short period could cause drainage systems to overflow, while accumulated garbage could further obstruct water flow.
The Minister said a coordinated programme involving several government institutions, with the intervention of the Presidential Secretariat, was currently underway to address the situation.
He emphasised that relevant officials must take responsibility and expedite remedial measures, while calling on the public to refrain from disposing of non-biodegradable waste into drains.
Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stressed that public cooperation would be essential to effectively address Colombo's drainage and flooding problems.
