UDA completes Rs. 210 m beautification of Galle Fort area

Thursday, 10 March 2022 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Ministry of Urban Development and Housing has carried out renovations in Galle Fort on the instruction of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who is the minister in charge of the subject.

The Urban Development Authority which carried out the renovations have done so in a manner that would preserve the antiquities and heritage of Galle Fort. This was done with the assistance of the Department of Archaeology and the Galle Heritage Foundation.

This is the first time in 433 years since the creation of Galle Fort that the present Government has embarked on such a comprehensive renovation program. It is reported that only a minor overhaul has been done on one previous occasion.

Southern Province Governor Dr. Willie Gamage along with Housing and Urban Development State Minister Nalaka Godahewa, Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development and several other officials inspected the area recently.

The development of Galle Fort was divided into two parts under the Galle Fort Development Plan implemented by the Galle District Urban Development Office under the guidance of the UDA.

All of these replicas are weapons from the ancient Portuguese, Dutch, and British eras. ‘Fibre Resin’ to make replicas of those weapons and raw materials such as dolomite have been used according to specific compounds.

The Galle Fort grounds have been newly constructed and rehabilitated with a walking path while 40,000 square metres of land has been beautified while a major landscaping project was carried out.

The project, which commenced operations on 24 January 2019 was completed on 15 December 2021 at the cost of Rs. 210 million.