Sajith hits Govt over Colombo flooding

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the Government of failing to maintain and upgrade Colombo’s drainage system, saying even basic measures could have reduced the impact of the recent flooding.

In a special statement, Premadasa said the Government had promised a transformation within six months but had failed even to clean the city’s drainage channels.

He said Colombo was severely affected by heavy rain in recent days, while the Mayor had said the city’s drainage system was designed to handle rainfall of between 30mm and 50mm.

Premadasa said experts had identified inadequate drainage as a major factor behind the flooding and stressed the need to repair, upgrade and properly maintain the network.

Although around 120mm of rain had been recorded during the recent episode, heavier rainfall had been experienced in previous years, he said, citing rainfall figures of 493.7mm in 1993 and 440.2mm in 2010.

He questioned why such rainfall had not caused a disaster on a similar scale in those years.

The Opposition Leader said inadequate development of Colombo’s drainage infrastructure and the failure to clear waste from drainage channels had contributed to the crisis, affecting a large number of people.

He said a Samagi Jana Balawegaya government would have introduced an advanced stormwater drainage system based on systems used in countries such as Singapore.

The proposed system would include an integrated stormwater network, rainwater collection facilities, underground storage tanks, pumping and diversion systems and green infrastructure, he said.

Premadasa also referred to flood management measures adopted by the Netherlands, including underground water storage, large-scale pumping systems, flood barriers and river expansion projects.

Sri Lanka should study such systems and adapt modern flood management technologies to local conditions to minimise the impact of heavy rainfall, he said.

Premadasa also called for cooperation between the Government and Opposition, saying the priority should be to prevent a recurrence rather than engage in political blame games.

He questioned why the Government, which has a parliamentary majority, had failed to address the issue and said solutions could not be achieved by excluding the Opposition.

The Opposition Leader urged the public to move beyond political slogans and support policies based on a genuine vision for national development.