Colombo flood prevention system was planned during my tenure, says former minister

A system to prevent flooding in Colombo was planned with foresight during his tenure as Minister of Megapolis, former minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said today. His remarks come amid political criticism over the flooding that followed Friday's 129 millimetre downpour in Colombo within a few hours.

The pumping stations at Ambatale, Kolonnawa and Peliyagoda were installed during his tenure, he said, and two underground tunnels were built to prevent floods. One tunnel runs from Noris Canal Road towards Colombo North, he explained, and the other from Independence Square to the canal near D.S. Senanayake College.

The sole cause of the recent flooding in Colombo was the Colombo Municipal Council's failure to fulfil its duty of cleaning the drains and culverts, he charged.

His account forms part of the continuing debate between the mayor and political parties over the capacity of Colombo's drainage infrastructure; the officially announced claims are to be weighed against the responses of the institutions concerned.