​Third international airport to Hingurakgoda, Polonnaruwa

​Third international airport to Hingurakgoda, Polonnaruwa

Various dialogues surfaced about international airports in Sri Lanka in the past. A question posed by some people was as to why Mattala was selected without developing Katunayaka. In the meantime the incumbent government too has got involved in an airport and that is in Hingurakgoda in the district of Polonnaruwa. 

According to the main development structure of Trincomalee harbour, the third development project

was launched and its work commenced yesterday. What was said at the initiation of this programme in which Minister Champika Ranawaka was present with the Prime Minister heading it was that by the year 2050, according to the plan to develop the east, Hingurakgoda international airport would come into being. What Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasingha said was this plan has finalised with Sri Lanka being developed as the focal point of the Indian Ocean.

"During the olden days Sri Lanka was a hub of the Indian Ocean ​and many harbours were in operation at that time. Today we have focused our attention on Colombo harbour and Hambantota. Together with development of the Western part of India, with the development taking place in Iran, Colombo would be important. Vessels that use the Suez Canal travelling across Hambantota in the case of countries such as Singapore, it is of more importance that the harbour in the South being developed through that medium. 

Within the next 20 years nations in the Bay of Bengal would achieve great development. By the year 2050, the population in those zones would grow to somewhere close to 3 billion. Therefore, we would have to develop Trincomalee as the gateway to the East of Sri Lanka", he quipped. 

Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka stated that special attention has been given to minimise environmental damage that may occur and that 11 per cent of the plan has been allocated for urban development and the other 89 per cent has been allocated for Wildlife, ocean and irrigation. 

Under this project, plans have been geared to install an airport in Hingurakgoda, Polonnaruwa, a new urban centre in association with Trincomalee, several vehicle yards comprising planes or levels, a safari park, a cricket playground, several expressway systems and a power plant. The Minister has also said that the plan has been prepared by the Singapore company called Surbana Jurong.