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Residents protest alternate route of New Kelani Bridge extension 

23 Feb 2021

Residents at Pothuarawa are protesting against one of the two alternative routes proposed concerning the construction of the New Kelani Bridge (NKB) extension to the Athurugiriya Elevated Highway, The Morning learnt. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (22), the Vice President (VP) of a group called “Save Pothuarawa Community”, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the Pothuarawa residents disagree with the alternative plan where the proposed highway would go through the Pothuarawa community. The NKB-Athurugiriya Elevated Highway Project is being constructed under two phases. The construction of Phase One from Kelaniya through Dematagoda to Rajagiriya has already begun while Phase Two would follow one of the two proposed routes to Athurugiriya – either through the highly residential area of Pothuarawa or through the Thalangama Wetland. “The Road Development Authority’s (RDA) proposed elevated highway across the protected Thalangama Wetland and the Averihena Tank has been heavily criticised by the residents and environment groups claiming that it is a nationally and internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot included in the Ramsar Convention. We don’t agree with that,” said the organisation’s VP. He claimed that these groups only opposed that route to save the front view of the houses, and not the wetland. “Now the RDA has come up with an alternative plan where the proposed highway would be built through the Pothuarawa community,” the VP added. According to him, 150 residents live around the Pothuarawa area. “I don’t understand the reason why the Government would want to drag Pothuarawa people to the road,” said the VP. However, speaking to The Morning, RDA Chairman Chaminda Athuluwage said that the residents of Pothuarawa have started this protest without confirming facts and based on a figment of their imagination. “We are still discussing the proposed routes. According to the plans, we wanted to go ahead with the route through the Thalangama Wetland where we see it as economically viable and less damaging. But the final decision has not been made yet due to the protests. They assume that the RDA would take the highly residential area of Pothuarawa as the alternative route which we still haven’t decided on,” Athuluwage further said. Earlier this month, the proposed construction of the NKB extension to the Athurugiriya Elevated Highway was put on hold on the instructions of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to ensure it is constructed without harming the Thalangama Wetland. “We have been instructed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to come up with a plan to ensure that if construction occurs through the Thalangama Wetland, it would be done with minimum environmental impact,” Central Environmental Authority (CEA) Chairman Siripala Amarasinghe told The Morning on 11 February. Accordingly, discussions are taking place between the Ministry of Environment, RDA, the Urban Development Authority (UDA), and the CEA to formulate such a plan.


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