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Dynamic and competitive Colombo

Sri Lanka as a country requires to tap the competitive advantages of the Colombo Metropolitan Region to put its development process on a fast track as the region produces almost 50% of GDP and 80% of industry value added in production. The Metro Colombo Urban Development Project (MCUDP) which is jointly financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development of the World Bank and the Government of Sri Lanka was launched seven months ago with the intention of making Colombo Metropolitan area a dynamic and a competitive one.

The total cost of the MCUDP is US $ 223 million. This project will be managed by the Project Management Unit of the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development while implementation responsibilities are handled by three project implementing agencies- Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC), Urban Development Authority (UDA) and Colombo Municipal Council (CMC)

The World Bank funded project is one of the main projects that has been launched with the intention of achieving profound economic transformation through urban development. The broader objectives of the MCUDP are to compliment the present urban regeneration programme of the Government of Sri Lanka to reduce the physical and socioeconomic impacts of flooding in the Metro Colombo Region and to improve priority local infrastructure and services to enhance urban regeneration.

Speaking on the current status of the project at a meeting held at the World Bank Conference Room, Colombo last Tuesday Senior Urban Specialist of The World Bank, Rosanna Nitti said that the packages procured or under tendering are Town Hall, Walkability, Public Conveniences, Aluth Mawatha Culvert, Galle Road and Duplication Road Rehabilitation and gabion protection for a section of East Beira Lake.

The selection of investments for other local authorities are under finalization and hydraulic Models for macro and micro drainage updated and detailed design of flood structures to be started soon.

"The project is mainly aimed at reducing flooding in the catchment of the Colombo Water Basin, and to strengthen the capacity of local authorities in the CMA to rehabilitate, improve and maintain local infrastructure and services through selected demonstration investments." A special feature of the project is the use of knowledge of local engineers.

When planning the project the changing weather patterns specially rainfall patterns during the last 25 years have been taken into consideration.

According to Additional Secretary (Technical) , Ministry of Defence and Urban Development and the Director of MCUDP, the project area will comprise four urban local authorities: the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council (DMLMC), Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte Municipal Council (SJ-KMC) and Kolonnawa Urban Council (KUC). There are three components of the project. The first component focuses on flood and drainage management and the issue of urban flooding. It is vital to pay attention to this issue as it maks a negative impact on the economy of the Metro Colombo Region with high socioeconomic costs.

The second component emphasizes on urban development and infrastructure rehabilitation for Project Local Authorities (the CMC, DMLMC, SJ-KMC, and KUC). The intention here is to support these authorities to rehabilitate and manage their drainage infrastructure and urban roads, to implement selected demonstration urban improvement investments and improve solid waste collection. The second component also includes targeted technical assistance for institutional strengthening and capacity building for central and local authorities.

The third component consists of implementation support. In fact the objectives of this component are twofold. On one hand it seeks to ensure the effective implementation of the MCUDP including monitoring and evaluation, compliance with environmental and social safeguards, and appropriate reporting. On the other hand the third component will help reinforce the capacity of the Project Local Authorities, Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and development Corporation and the Urban Development Authority for sustaining and replicating the project initiatives. As is the case with any project funded by the World Bank, this project also needs to comply with World Bank operational policies in addition to conformity with environmental legislation of the Sri Lankan government.

Considering social safeguards, the project also needs to comply with World Bank Operational Policies in addition to conformity with the Land Acqusition Act and Sri Lanka's National Policy on Involuntary Resettlement of 2001. When preparing the resettlement component social aspects have been taken into full consideration.

Courtesy : Daily News