An audit report for 2024 has revealed that numerous incidents of theft involving electrical cables, copper wires, streetlight poles and other equipment have been reported on the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway.

According to the report, 100 theft incidents were reported on the expressway during the three-year period from 2021 to 2023.

The value of 11 of these thefts was estimated at Rs. 580 million, while the value of the remaining 89 thefts had not been determined, the audit report stated.

The audit further revealed that, under the design of the expressway’s electrical cable system, the cables laid along the median had been partially covered with Hume pipes with a semi-circular diameter of approximately three feet, rather than being fully enclosed in concrete.

A field inspection had observed that this had left the electrical cables in a condition where they could be easily cut and removed.

The audit report also pointed out that the thefts had continued to increase due to the failure to introduce an appropriate security mechanism since the first theft was reported in 2021, as well as the failure of responsible supervisory officers to take necessary action.

It further stated that, based on a comparison with the estimate prepared for the first 10 kilometers of the expressway, the cost of repairing the damage across the entire expressway would exceed Rs. 1.77 billion.

However, the audit report revealed that sufficient action had not been taken to identify those responsible for the thefts and damage.