- High-level committee appointed; preliminary report in 2 weeks
The Government has launched a comprehensive investigation and safety overhaul of urban housing schemes following the death of a seven-year-old child at a high-rise housing complex in Modara earlier this week, allocating Rs. 300 million for immediate rectification and a further Rs. 93 million for critical structural repairs.
Speaking on the incident, Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara said that the tragedy had exposed long-standing failures in the design, construction, and management of several housing projects, warning that existing living conditions could not be allowed to persist.
A high-level investigation committee has been appointed to examine the circumstances surrounding the child’s death and identify construction and maintenance failures, with a preliminary report expected within one-and-a-half weeks.
Gunasekara said three Senior Directors of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) had been assigned to oversee all 24 UDA housing schemes and instructed to spend eight days on site assessing risks and identifying high-risk areas requiring urgent intervention.
He said immediate attention would be given to lift safety, fire protection systems, and visible structural defects, noting that several buildings, including some completed as recently as 2019, were already showing signs of serious deterioration.
Describing the existing housing units as “cages,” the Deputy Minister said the State had a responsibility to ensure that these spaces did not remain “hell” for residents.
Gunasekara and a team of officials visited the housing complex following the incident and held discussions with residents.
The child had sustained critical injuries after a section of cement plaster from the outer wall of an apartment complex had fallen on his head while he was playing near the building in Madampitiya, Modara.
The child had been admitted to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in Colombo, where he succumbed to his injuries on Thursday (5). The deceased was identified as a resident of Randiya Uyana, Modara, Colombo 15.
The Government confirmed that Rs. 1 million in compensation had been paid to the child’s mother, along with Rs. 125,000 to cover funeral expenses, with additional welfare assistance expected through the UDA’s welfare society.
UDA Director General Ruchira Withana told The Sunday Morning that the authority had already commenced technical investigations into possible construction failures and structural damage using specialised equipment and expert teams. Withana said that the UDA’s primary focus was on preventing a recurrence of such incidents.
He added that the Rs. 300 million allocation would be used to address long-neglected safety and maintenance issues across housing schemes, while the additional Rs. 93 million would be directed towards repairing structural cracks and failures.
As part of immediate measures, the UDA has begun modifying physical layouts to improve security by restricting unnecessary access routes and addressing areas known for illegal activities. Withana said that new downpipe systems had already been installed following reports that infrastructure was being damaged to conceal illicit materials from the Police.
Acknowledging that current housing units, which average about 450 square feet, are inadequate for a decent quality of life, Withana said future projects would target a minimum size of 560 square feet. He noted that forcing families to sleep, cook, and live within a single confined space created serious social strain that the authority could no longer ignore.
Looking ahead, the UDA plans to adopt a community-oriented urban housing model inspired by Malaysia, with a stronger emphasis on shared spaces, recreation, and dignity in living. The aim, Withana said, was to uplift these complexes to a “condo-level” environment where residents felt a sense of ownership and pride, while also addressing the lack of safe recreational options for young people, which is contributing to drug vulnerability.
Under the revived Urban Regeneration Project, around 15,000 housing units have been constructed in Colombo to provide permanent housing for low-income families.
In November 2025, the Cabinet approved plans to construct a further 730 housing units in Colombo at an estimated cost of Rs. 7.8 billion, targeting low-income earners.
The projects, to be located on Green Path and Torrington Avenue, will revive previously halted developments and be implemented under the reactivated Urban Regeneration Project. Budgetary provisions for the projects have been allocated for the period from 2026 to 2028.