Colombo Beautification Means Less Trees
By Dinouk Colombage
A weeping willow tree uprooted from its bed of over a century
Colombo’s “Beautification Project” has taken its toll once again with the destruction of over 150 years of nature in just a week’s time.
The wanton removal of the centuries old trees along Wijerama Road took place two weeks ago, and was completed last Monday.
Driving down that stretch all that will be seen is the upturned soil that will be shortly covered by a new pavement.
The Urban Development Authority (UDA), along with the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), has been responsible for this devastation.
L.T. Kiringoda, Director of the Development Planning Division, explained that this was necessary as they are expanding the road and building a pavement.
“We found we could not build the road around the trees as they were too wide in width.
We are planning on replacing the trees,” he said. There was no mention of what they would be replacing the trees with.
Kiringoda explained that “this has becoming an important road in Colombo; it plays host to two major schools as well as an embassy.
While the cutting down of the trees was not our first option, we had no other choice.”
Kiringoda added that the cutting down of the trees was carried out by the CMC, and that they were in charge of replacing the cut down trees.
S. Elangasiri, Municipal Engineers Department, said that they had “explored all alternatives to cutting down the trees, but found nothing else could be done.”
He added that before the start expanding the road and laying the pavement they would be replacing the cut down trees.
“We have not yet decided on what trees we would plant, while we want them to last for many years we must ensure that their roots do not damage the road or pavement,” he said.
Residents in the area have been extremely critical of the operation, calling it an unnecessary destruction to public property. Shehan Fernando, a local resident, accused the UDA of trying to remove all the trees around Colombo and replace them with “local” trees.
“The iconic weeping willows which lined the road running up to Independence Square were replaced with the Na Tree. There was no cause to cut those trees down, but they did so and replaced them with a local tree,” he said.
“I cannot understand why they feel the need to expand this road, Gregory’s road was rebuilt and since then traffic has been flowing smoothly.
This is a side road and should have been left that way, the city has numerous traffic problems, we do not need to add to it with building more roads,” Fernando said.
He went to say that neither the UDA nor the CMC gave the residents any prior warning that these trees would be cut down.
“Many of us have lived down these roads most of our lives, these trees have been here all that time.
As residents of the area we should have had some say in whether or not they were cut down,” he said.
Elangasiri denied that no warning had been given to the residents, “we notified the residents of the area. Work on that road has been ongoing for several weeks; while many of them asked us what we were doing no one has come forth and complained.”
Colombo Green, a local environment group, was highly critical of the recent felling of the trees.
Johann de Silva, member of Colombo Green, said that they were unaware that such a plan had been in place. “When the weeping willows near Independence Square were being cut down we responded and immediately sent a letter to both the UDA and the CMC requesting that they stop it. We also requested a meeting with the Mayor; neither the letter nor the meeting were met with any response,” he said.
“They call this the Colombo Beautification Project, but does that mean Colombo will only be beautiful when all the trees are replaced with tarred roads?” he asked.
De Silva went on to say that environmentally such a move should not have been permitted, “these trees have last for over a hundred years. In the heart of the city which is being filled with pollution is extremely important that we allow such old trees to continue to stand.
It is unlikely that the new trees they are planting will survive as long in the city.”
With the trees now cut down the question over what has happened to all of the timber needs to be asked. De Silva explained that much of the timber is not “A-grade” and would not fetch a high price on the market.
Elangasiri said that the timber would remain in the possession of the CMC, “these trees are public property and so they belong to the municipal council.
I do not know what we will do with it, but it be kept by the CMC.”
With the increased development projects going on around Colombo, environmental groups have urged the citizens of the city to stand up to such acts.
“It is important that the citizens try and stop such acts from continuing, as long as the people stand idly by the authorities will continue to cut down the trees,” de Silva said.
What a bunch of donkeys, They should be send back to the boon docks
hey richardson
you remember the donkeys in that little island opposite gangaramaya
now its been done up with lights and a little bridge
what happened to the donkeys that were there
maybe its those donkeys who are in parliment
First of all beautification actually does not mean widening of roads just because the roads play a major host to Embassies and two major school.. This is not a watertight justification to cut down very old trees which are older than grand father of the person who decided to cut those. Once the same idiots cut very old tress in front of the former Public Works Department and Survey Department which were in existence even during the British regime along Lower Chatham Street. Very specially Colombo city does not have that much of trees currently and cutting down what is there is an crime and these idiots should realize it. If anybody walks along main roads you feel that you are in a Middle Eastern Country. There are other ways to ease traffic congestions like making some streets for oneway for traffic a practice adopted by major wester countries. Street beautification goes hand in hand with a high percentage of trees with branches (not Palmira trees like along the Galle Face Green). These Traffic Engineers and Landscape Architects should know this. Destruction of existing greenary is not beautification. Even in Middle Eastern countries they have begun to plant trees and nurture those and in Western countries the cities are full of green trees they hardly cut a single tree unless it is very life threatening. The Traffic Engineers and Landscape Architests in these countries are very mindful that is why they respect the environment unlike the Sri Lankan Traffic Engineers and landscape Architects. The Sri lankans does have only their degrees and in practice they are real dummies. Instead of widening roads just to have an easy drive to embassies and to two major schools, they should under this City beautification plan should think of a proper disposal plan to TRASH PILING UP along streets and to install proper rain water drainage system instead of leaving huge open drains along either side of main roads. In addition to stink and unsightly conditions along the streets/roads, these drains which are not properly maintained collect pools of water (rain and dirty) which becomes ideal breeding places for DENGU Mosquitoes. It is cleaning or clearing of these unsightly conditions, providing levelled & evenly constructed pavements along the city roads and cleanliness along the streets should be the primary responsibilities of these dummy short sighted inexperienced buffalos and not cutting down 100 year old trees just to satisfy a few. What the Tourists remark is that the city is full of dirty open drains, uneven pavements (side walks) and stinking piles of household trash. First take action on these very pressing items then the beautification of the city will be easy..
First the citizens of this country should be thought how to drive, how to park, how to cross a street and also how to vote —– never mind the traffic, pedestrians do not use the pavements, crossings or even know how to cross the street at crossings with lights – it is easy for you to call officials “idiots” but when you point one finger at the so called idiots there are three more pointing back at you, ask any nursury student to sing this song to you just to remind you that idiots are not in short supply………they walk amongst us too………………..
Some people like to condemn everything just because they did not do it themselves, look around Colombo and you will see that the changes are for the better and not the worse. If some trees have to be cut down so be it, remember some of these trees have been allowed to grow without planning and now hindering traffic, we need to widen roads to accomodate the increase in traffic, this is certain and if some trees have to be “replaced” so what, wait till the project is completed and then comment. Independance square is looking like a million dollars now and if there is anyone who can convince us that it was better before with trees growing wild they must be blind and stark raving mad……………
realistic
the only problem is that old run down monument in torrington
now if we can get that out of the way like those 100 year old trees
boy it will be looking like a BILLION dollars
long live modernisation
I must be stark raving mad then. Have you even seen what independence square looked like before it was developed? have you seen how beautiful Colombo looked 100 years ago? Concrete and structures can be built in a couple of years, but not trees. The trees gave Wijeyrama road a personality, something that stands out from the concrete jungle that every other country has. Chopping down the trees is like chopping down what little spirit Colombo has
I seriously dont see the point of all this . The British were smart enough to plant these trees back then for a reason and now these uneducated fools who hv got into high office dont know the meaning and value of their actions. I feel sorry for the residents coz in the end their property real estate value goes down as people pay high prices for the land for its natural beauty in the heart of the city… I dont where this countrty is going the names of roads are changing to some unpronouncable gibberish , the only thing beautiful in the city the trees are getting cut and all of us just stare and watch powerlessly. There will always be the rise of Evil as long as good people stay IDLE!! God Bless
This is what happens when you give work to some local architects or developers aced their grades theorotically and not practically… They just cant think outside the box to solve a problem… Had to think prehistorical human mentality to destroy everything for development. I bet they have no idea abt global warming and air pollution and what it means by real beautification of city
people must use their heads wisely. destruction of trees greenery is crime against nature society the country and peoplw. think climate change carbon utilation oxygen producton shade breeze all vital to society. authorities are either ignorant ill adviced. they must replace all the trees and take care for them till established. if anyone known these fact still done it they should vacate the job seek alternate one.
what is wrong with lankan ass_oles criticizing everything? If govt does something they are not happy,if dont do anything also not happy.Just because you can type now,dont try to be smarty pants.
These trees are over 100 years old means they have to go now like wise humans when the time comes have to go. Those trees huge and their roots may be causing massive subsidence to the nearby house owners,who have no clue about it..As far as someone replaces them in a best way to suit current environment thats ok.