Sri Lanka’s Urban Regeneration Project launched by the previous regime with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is to be continued under the patronage of Urban Development Authority on the directions of Prime Minister Mahainda Rajapksa.
Urban Regeneration Project has been initiated for providing the housing requirements of the people living in the colonies with the least facilities in the Colombo city.
Steps are being taken to obtain US$ 200 million from Asian Infrastructure Facility Investment Bank for this project.
The Urban Development Authority (UDA) has identified 68,812 families living in 1,499 community clusters (underserved settlements spread over an area of 900 acres) which do not have a healthy environment for human habitation and access to basic infrastructure facilities such as clean water, electricity, sanitation etc.
Under this Program (URB) started in 2011, UDA aims to construct 70,000 housing units of acceptable standard for relocation of underserved settlements of the city of Colombo and its immediate suburbs.
This is in accordance with government policy to enhance the livelihoods of the under privileged communities.
Government will be envisaging the relocation of households currently living in slums into new housing schemes with adequate standards and optimization of land use of prime locations for high utility and economic returns.
This will be an important step towards transforming Colombo into a city with a clean and pleasing environment and a model for national development.
Under this initiative the previous regime has started a 624 housing project situated at Colambage Mawatha, Kirillapone to provide shelter facilities for shanty dwellers.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved awarding the contract for planning and construction of the remaining construction work of this housing project to Maga Engineering (Pvt.) Limited.
(LI)