Wattala jogging-track broken and removed

Wattala jogging-track broken and removed

Various opinions about breaking it

The jogging-track erected during the last regime at a cost of Rs. 8 million in Wattala Kalu Ela area was completely removed after nightfall by some contractors last Saturday

with the aid of bacho machines.

This action taken without any prior notice has created some hullabaloo among neighbouring people after seeing the situation and an attempt was taken to contact the authorities concerned. Later what came to be known was that this was something done with the knowledge of the government.

Whatever it is, what several authorities had expressed about handing over this contract are contradictory ideas. Minister John Amaratunga had said, that because of this track extending to a mile a road leading to an adjoining town has been restricted and that the road would be constructed after breaking it this way and had met with approval in that connection.

What a spokesman of the Municipality and Ministry of Western Development expressed was that since it has been planned to erect a housing complex within another 2 months adjoining the track, the action of breaking the track had been carried out. Whatever it is, the said spokesman had added that in conjunction with the housing complex the said track it is scheduled to be erected even with a better outlook than before. What Municipality and Ministry of Western Development Media Director, Mr. Dhanushka Ramanayaka had said was that the jogging track meant for health reasons was removed for the reason of widening the road of the lake reserve and that after development activities have being put into motion, a modernised jogging-track would be installed once again.