By Dinitha RathnayakeMinister of Highways Johnston Fernando has instructed officials in charge of the expansion of the Central Expressway to review the construction work and to submit an ecological assessment report immediately, following allegations by area residents that the Gampaha District was flooded due to the expressway. He issued these instructions while participating at a discussion held at the Ministry yesterday (8) to inquire into the flooding, as there were allegations from various quarters that the construction of the Central Expressway was the cause of the unusual flooding in the Gampaha area. The Secretary to the Ministry was entrusted with the task of reviewing the plan of the Central Expressway and preparing an ecological evaluation report. The Minister also instructed that this report be submitted within four days. The ministers and parliamentarians who participated in the meeting pointed out that the improper construction of roads and service lines during the construction of the Central Expressway and the improper construction of the drainage system related to it, have caused floods in Gampaha and other areas. It was emphasised that it is essential to carry out a proper study on the design of the Central Expressway, taking into consideration all the factors that caused the floods in the Gampaha District, and also that the programme to clean and repair the existing drainage systems throughout the Gampaha District be resumed. Fernando also stressed that there is no point of constructing expressways or other development activities in a manner that affects the people. The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported that more than 98,052 people in the Gampaha District had been affected by the recent inclement weather and that 3,551 had been displaced.
