Saturday Jun 20, 2026
Saturday Jun 20, 2026
Saturday, 20 June 2026 05:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake
The Cabinet of Ministers this week approved the reallocation of 408 housing units originally acquired for the suspended elevated expressway project to resettle flood-affected families in Kolonnawa and households living along a high-risk petroleum pipeline corridor.
Under the decision, 336 housing units from the Sanhinda Sevana housing complex in Kolonnawa will be allocated to families repeatedly affected by flooding, while 72 units from the Helamuthu Sevana housing complex in Henamulla will be provided to non-title occupants residing along the underground fuel pipeline operated by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).
Authorities have identified the urgent need to relocate 336 families living in flood-prone areas of Kolonnawa, one of the country’s most vulnerable urban flood zones, as well as 72 families occupying land above or adjacent to the CPC’s underground petroleum pipeline.
The housing units were originally purchased by the Road Development Authority (RDA) from housing projects developed by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) for families expected to be displaced by the proposed elevated expressway linking the New Kelani Bridge to Athurugiriya via the Outer Circular Highway.
The RDA had acquired a total of 1,100 housing units across the Sanhinda Sevana, Helamuthu Sevana and Lakhiru Sevana housing schemes for that purpose.
However, the resettlement program linked to the expressway was halted after the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka issued an enjoining order suspending Phase II of the elevated highway project.
With the housing stock remaining unused, the Government has now opted to redirect part of the inventory towards addressing long-standing urban resettlement challenges.
The proposal was submitted by the Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake.
