Legal action over unauthorised constructions blamed for Colombo floods, CMC warns

The Colombo Municipal Council has warned that legal action will be taken against unauthorised constructions that block drainage systems and cause flooding in Colombo even after light rain.

Steps are being taken to identify and remove such structures to reduce flooding in the city, said Engineer Manoj Ranasinghe, Director of the Council's Water Supply and Drainage Division.

Unauthorised constructions identified on Sri Wickrama Road in Mattakkuliya and on Bimelwatte Road have already been removed, he revealed, adding that notices are being issued to those responsible for other illegal structures that have been identified.

The Council said it will pursue legal remedies against owners of constructions found to be responsible for flooding in the city. The warning follows last week's heavy rains, which inundated large parts of Colombo and its suburbs and renewed scrutiny of blocked and neglected drainage lines.

Officials have repeatedly stressed that drainage channels must stay open so that rainwater can flow away freely. The council says structures raised without approved permits block those channels and are a major reason water pools across many parts of the city during heavy rain. It also asked the public not to obstruct drainage systems, saying clearance operations against unauthorised buildings will continue.