Comments on: Colombo goes under water, and not for the first time https://groundviews.org/2010/05/15/colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time Journalism for Citizens Fri, 28 Nov 2014 04:28:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.1 By: Groundviews https://groundviews.org/2010/05/15/colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time/#comment-59389 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 04:28:00 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=3193#comment-59389 From November, 2015: After the torrential downpour, most of the roads near Thunmulla Junction last night were completely under water. Havelock Road was impassable for anything other than a good SUV or 4WD. This was shot down Philip Gunawardene Mawatha, outside the Colombo University.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154856070510640

]]> By: Pearl Thevanayagam https://groundviews.org/2010/05/15/colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time/#comment-19145 Wed, 19 May 2010 23:50:05 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=3193#comment-19145 Floods are what nature brings when mankind ignores nature’s warnings. Unlike wars floods can be curtailed with some forward thinking and unselfish planning.

But who wants to listen to environmental experts and disaster management consultants when short-term profit motive of entrepreneurs take precedence over sense and sensibility.

And the capitalist government would move heaven and earth to bring in much needed kudos in th form of toursim industry and CIC chemicals which pour in toxic effluvia into Colombos’ waterways and allowing flood waters to cog our drainage system.

After all this govt. has to placate China, Pakistan, India, South Korea and of course the UK and US who would bring in their new-fangled theory for the economic upliftment of this island and to hell with long-term environmetal sustainability.

After all did we not denude our natural forests for tea so that the British empire could make its mark as the sole exporter of tea where they colonised.

Now the ad jingles say Yorkshire Tea? When did Yorkshire grow tea?

We sold our patent of neem and gotulola to Germans. While Thailand with UScollaboration are marketing all their horticulture we are still teetering on marketing our indigenous produce while they are fresh!!

Waitrose, the Quen’s spermarket sells a sweetless 100gm papaya at £2.00 while Sri Lankans let te brids peck away our fruits.

While we pay obeisence to the West and let them plunder our wealth and our patency we remain a backward economy thanks to our politicians who would continue to let the West dictate our economic policy.

]]> By: Observer https://groundviews.org/2010/05/15/colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time/#comment-19102 Wed, 19 May 2010 12:09:35 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=3193#comment-19102 I know my house will get flooded one day again. It has happened. Who knows it may even burn down one day. I only hope we can all get out in time without harm.

]]> By: Kanishka Ratnapriya https://groundviews.org/2010/05/15/colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time/#comment-19094 Wed, 19 May 2010 08:54:06 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=3193#comment-19094 Dear Observer, I hope your house gets flooded.

]]> By: Dr. H.M. M. B. Seneviratne/ disman https://groundviews.org/2010/05/15/colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time/#comment-19000 Tue, 18 May 2010 08:17:59 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=3193#comment-19000 We have to transfer ourselves from Relief management to Disaster management and Disaster Management should be the realm of the Properly qualified Disaster manager, not a group of people who think disasters cannot be managed

]]> By: Pearl Thevanayagam https://groundviews.org/2010/05/15/colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time/#comment-18971 Mon, 17 May 2010 20:28:48 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=3193#comment-18971 Some 80,000 dislocated due to the persistent rains. The warnings came 20 years ago if not before.

The government should re-think its strategy of economic advancement to compete with other Asian economic powers and retain its own environmental balance.

There were environmental experts who have been sounding the warning signals for a very long time but post 1977 these warnings have gone unheeded and now we are paying the price.

Sri Lanka is but a small island paradise, but it should not give in to short term boom such as tourism industry which only reaps rewards for major conglomerates and not the rightful citizens.

We should listen to environmental experts and pay heed to their advice.

Otherwise we too could suffer the fate awaiting Bangladesh or Maldives.

]]> By: Observer https://groundviews.org/2010/05/15/colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time/#comment-18879 Sun, 16 May 2010 06:26:03 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=3193#comment-18879 Note that there aren’t floodings in other countries… This is a unique phenomenon only witnessed in Sri Lanka. Kanishka, [Edited out] I will try and find you a city in this world that won’t disrupt your life even 1 out of the 365 days due to any circumstance! So you can carry on you perfect life blissfully in perfect order with no disruptions. If I never get back to you, you will know why. Because no city is built perfectly!

]]> By: Kanishka Ratnapriya https://groundviews.org/2010/05/15/colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time/#comment-18874 Sun, 16 May 2010 05:29:07 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=3193#comment-18874 Its amazing how people jump to politicized conclusions on something as trivial as our own streets flooding. It shows how polarized our community has become. I’m not blaming the MR regime for this! I’m blaming the CMC who were told year after year under multiple administrations to deal with flooding issues and have failed, year after year.

Its kind of frustrating.

]]> By: Assas https://groundviews.org/2010/05/15/colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time/#comment-18840 Sat, 15 May 2010 12:11:21 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=3193#comment-18840 Please do not worry Land Reclamation and Development Coorportaion will fill some more lands and distribute amoung politicos and supported public servents and genarl public can have more floods in future. Please see if any body interested the flood management plan available in the Department of Iriigatipon. Being trying to stop unauthorised filling I had to leave Country for fear of life. What the genarl public who suffer with flooding shall organise and demelish all those big houses in Kirimadala Mawatha, Asiri Hospital and soem in and around Colombo 7 and other araes.

]]> By: Raf https://groundviews.org/2010/05/15/colombo-goes-under-water-and-not-for-the-first-time/#comment-18829 Sat, 15 May 2010 08:01:00 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=3193#comment-18829 Drainage has been ignored by Sri Lanka in the name of development not only on Colombo but in all other cities. This is one of the reasons why mosquitoes and descease plague every nook and corner of our nation. Every little town has open drains filled with litter and stagnant water. The stench is unbearable. People walk arould these places as if this is the way towns are meant to be. All water ways are used as dump sites by industries and householders. Some people even direct their sewer outfalls into these water ways without any consideration for fellow human beings who bath and wash their clothes in these polluted waters. Unless we protect our precious environment it will make us a very sick people.

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