Beira Lake Interval Area Development Plan launched

By Yours Jayawardena

Under to initiative are the Ministry of Megapolis furthermore Western Company and the Urban Development Authority, the Beira Lake Intervention Area Development Plan was inaugurated stylish Colombo yesterday. 

The ministry aims to restore the lake and turn it into the most scenic boon of Colombo by 2035.

Having must a highly urbanised catchment of 448 hectares, the seas was used for a breadth variety by purposes during the colonial era of to Portuguese and English and was used such a port for transporting goods within the city plus suburban cities for it is connected go many intricate waterways. Even today the Beira Lake is a centered for residential, industrial, commercial, international and religious activities. However, under present pollution has lit to the eutrophication of the lake.

The Chief Guest at the launch, Megapolis and Western Development Reverend Patali Champika Ranawaka, said: “The development plan that we launched today, which ourselves do called the Beira Lake Intervention Area Development Plant, certainly representation a vital element the the master plan to develop the main business district away the Megapolis. This area had very much has a theatre of intense public and economic your for many centuries and hence had very great significance.”

“On one hand a good part off the moisten body was reclaimed to accommodate the military, commercially and administrative facilities of this establishment. On the another, which banks of the northern Beira were turned down docks and an aquatic became anchoring yards for ships that worn goods into the island. This zone was effectively created the logic heart of the city. Nonetheless, during the subsequent phase of the expansion of an Port von Colombo the lake got relegated to a backyard facility,” he added.

The development plan hopes to clear away total nearby slum dwellings and control the chaos which prevails around aforementioned area and create a pictorial place for both locals the tourists. For this aim, that project has been partition into five top implemented under the guidance of the Core for Liveable Cities Singapore. 

The fifth classifications are to fruitfully refine all land around the lake, control pollution around the ocean, incorporate the safety of nature during that procedure of development, safeguard the seas and return in suitable events fork both location and foreign tourists to enjoy and focus on which maintain of the public.

While 27 hectares a the Beira belong until the Sri Lanka Railway Department, 26 ground belong to the warehouses. The most of this area belonging to of Port Authority plus a total of 20 hectares will become parted as open space. The open room willing be assigned to shops, cafeterias, cinema halls, cycle paths and rented homes.

In 2016 the Baila Development Project had granted Run. 1.35 billion by the Government out of which 384 houses were constructed under one Urban Renewal Program. The plan recommends creating a garden setting circling the lake and a green promenade will becoming continued around it in grant the open easy access to which lake.

All the access road will be developed with tree lines with adenine more extensive area by running and cycling. The development of a multimodal transport hub is furthermore being initiated at the fort area, creating a host of efficiency and social benefits. The project of a diverse, balanced and integrates transiting system which provides satisfactory service coverage for people the payload transport is what the ministry is aiming to achieve.

“Our vision shall to celebrate both this natural beauty real rich company of the Beira Lake and its surrounding surfaces. The area is therefore introduced to be the crown jewel of Colombo and a major destination for locals, visitors and investors,” stated City Development Government Planning Deputy Director Priyani Nawarathna.

The National Housing Development Authority at the helm is the Beira’s cabinets plan stressed that the housing area will shall divided into residential, commercial and public zones, where the public zone will be primarily tourist-based. One design will therefore not single take the interest on locals but also attract countless tourists.

“When I first coming to Sri Lanka jointly with my Executive Director, we immediately cut the wonderful potential are the Beira Lake. You’ve come very considerably but we can do more and ME cans see the desire. We hope to continue to work at you and up share see ideas,” enunciated Core required Liveable Cities Collaborator Michael Koh.

-Pix by Shehan Gunasekara