Address the slum problem

Tuesday’s destruction of over 70 shanty dwellings by a fire in Grandpass should open the eyes of the authorities to the ever present threat posed to clustered constructions especially in Colombo city.

This is not the first time that a similar fire broke out in shanty dwellings in the City. What followed was the inevitable visits by local politicians to the site of destruction and compensation to the victims to rebuild their homes. This time too it was no different.

What should have been done instead was to conduct a comprehensive study on the whole issue of illegal constructions in the city and measures devised to provide alternative accommodation to the dwellers of such makeshift constructions.

Today any visitor to the Colombo city would be appalled by the eye sore of squalid dwellings that greet them right from the initial entry at the Kelaniya bridge, which would hardly do any good to the image of the country.

Leave aside the common shanties and shacks even some of the tenements that dot the city are far from presenting a pretty sight.

There are also constructions that have appeared randomly at several parts of the city especially in the Colombo North area not to mention the squatters that have invaded state land.

The squatters refuse to budge and the law enforcement agencies too are helpless since these elements have strong political backing.

That cluster dwellings crudely put together are often prone to fire risks goes without saying and why the authorities have not taken serious action to address this matter even after dozens of blazes is baffling.

With the problem assuming gigantic proportions what is also equally surprising is the lack of interest or initiative shown by authorities to take action against the offenders. Here we venture to state they are in a dilemma, for most of these encroachers are more often than not the supporters of the local political bigwig and his henchmen.

True, today the city of Colombo is bursting at the seams and accommodation is a virtual nightmare. It is well known that certain wayside hotels and eateries have added to their space capacity and letting out rooms to an ever expanding transient population cashing in on the situation.

What the authorities should contemplate doing is build residential enclaves for all shanty dwellers in the city enabling them to live in reasonable comfort away from the squalor.

This would also to some extent ease the constant flooding of the city as the land vacated could serve as watersheds and what is more spare these people from sudden fires and other calamities.

The authorities no doubt would first have to persuade these people on the alternative option since some shanty dwellers have already resisted efforts to relocate them in conducive surroundings- especially those engaged in sleaze and other nefarious activities.

Here too there could be political interference with the myriad of political interests at play in the Colombo City unlike in any other city.

Therefore, what is necessary is the political will to work in the common interest of the larger majority of city dwellers and take Colombo back to the days when it earned the sobriquet as the “Garden City of Asia”, by a complete overhaul of its landscape.

It is incumbent that a blueprint be drawn immediately towards accomplishing this task before further deterioration sets in and the recurrence of similar calamities as that which occurred on Tuesday.

A shot in the arm for health sector

The introduction of a single vaccine for infants by the Health Ministry replacing the two vaccines now being administered is another instant of success achieved by the country’s health sector in making available modern treatment methods in Sri Lanka.

According to our news report yesterday this new modern vaccine Pentavalent will be given to all new born infants under the National Vaccination Programme.

Sri Lanka is also the first country in the region to introduce the single vaccine. Although the two earlier vaccines contained four separate vaccines which were administered on two places in the body it did not include the HIB vaccine which needs to be given to prevent Haemophilus Influenza type B(HIB) which is responsible for meningitis and Pneumonia in infants.

The new vaccine will now contain this vital element which would be welcomed by the parents of the new born. Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva who is always striving to upgrade the country’s Health sector should be commended for enabling the people of Sri Lanka to obtain the latest in health care.

The Minister has also ensured that malaria would be eliminated from the country through the launching of an active programme in the cities and the provinces.

It is incumbent that our free health service be complemented with the modern treatment methods for it to have any meaningful benefit. This the Minister is striving to accomplish at every opportunity.

The Minister has also been successful in obtaining WHO assistance for many projects that is of immense assistance to the country’s health sector.

The many seminars and workshops that are being conducted both and here internationally on the advances in the medical sphere with the participation of Sri Lanka it is hoped would bring in more dividends to the country’s health sector where the people could really enjoy the tangible fruits of our free medical system.