A Dam across the Diyawanna Oya

By Ashley de Vos

President J.R. Jayewardene was toying with the idea of creating a new parliament to accommodate the increased number of Parliamentarians that had to be accommodated. He requested the Embassies to help to formulate the necessary expertise. The only Embassy that responded was the French and following consultation a team from Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient for new towns led by Dr. François Daniel and Architect Planner Deloche arrived in Sri Lanka. The leader had read something that Ashley de Vos had written in the past, visited him and requested that he also joined the team. As an orientation to understand the history of the island the team toured the country for about a week. The historical monuments and the use of water as a feature in the landscape was impressive and taken note of.

The initial concept of the team was to examine if it was possible to create a connection of the new with the past and a location in Anuradhapura for the new Parliament was suggested. Meanwhile, Ananda Tissa De Alwis the MP for Kotte, had enticed the President of the appropriateness of siting the Parliament project at Jayawardena Kotte. At the time it was open ground, a marsh land with very little habitation. The island in the middle of the Diyawanna Oya was thought to be appropriate for the Parliament project, especially with the marsh and the potential for the use of water in the design. This island belonged to the E.W.Perera’s. The 16th Colombo troop from STC would row across the marsh and set up tents, on the island every two years. The timing was especially chosen to coincide with the mangosteen season and this was a great incentive to participate.

There were no helicopters available. The first aeriel photographs of the island were taken by this author, climbing a coconut tree located on the edge of the Veherakkanda monument overlooking the marsh. These photographs are his prize pocessions, as he had the scrapes and scratches across his chest and a torn shirt to prove his hour’s long battle with the trunk of the coconut tree. The Dutch hydrology expert brought over by the French, walked all over the marshes dressed in his special Waterproof fishing Wellies. His report concluded that the marshes had to be preserved inviolate with the rain water flowing over the maximum area of acre feet and finding its natural outlet to sea. If the marsh was intruded into or filled, and the free flow of water obstructed, the site and anything on it will get flooded.

The initial concept that Deloche from Ecole française proposed was a series of rings of activity. The new Parliament Building in the water surrounded by a marsh, beyond which was some low rise housing for the important personalities, like President, Prime Minister, Speaker and important Ministers. The third ring was housing for the other ministers, all set out in a lush parkland, to promote a leisurely atmosphere and to encourage walking. The fourth ring was to be a series of low rise office buildings. All the line ministries were to be accommodated in close proximity of the Parliament Complex for easy access and movement. The fifth ring was the housing for the officers and the staff working in the Ministries, all again set out in a parkland. It was hoped they would all walk to work. This meant a cleverly laid out new road network, but all was a possibility as the site had very little prior development.

Sri Lanka did not have any nor access to multimedia projection facilities. Dr. François Daniel carried twelve slide projectors on three occasions all the way from France to make three concept presentations on the scheme that was proposed. The first presentation was made to the President, Prime Minister, Ananda Tissa Alwis who we recall was the speaker, and three other ministers. There were some changes suggested. The next presentation was to the same group. And the third was to the whole Cabinet. Having got wind of the proposal, somewhere in between the presentations, two large tracks of land was bought up and resold for development, this totally eroded the morphology of the landscape and interfered with the proposed location of the Ministerial offices and the housing for the officers who were going to work there.

Even though there was some objections, the French suggested of an international competition for the parliament complex. A positive proposal that all land sales in the area should be frozen till the project proposals were clearly identified and properly formulated was not adhered to. The President in his wisdom decided to award the Parliament project to Architect Geoffrey Bawa. This was a happy ending for many. Gemunu Fernando formulated the initial costing for the scheme.

The implementation of the project was awarded to the Urban Development Authority. With the break down that was taking place, large areas of the marsh were being hurriedly sold by the owners to private developers and many areas were subjected to arbitrary filling. This was totally against the conclusions arrived at by the Dutch Hydrology expert. He wanted the marsh kept inviolate. He concluded that arbitrary filling and blocking of the free flow of excess water of the Diyawanna Oya into the natural lakes behind the old Christian College Kotte, and the canals leading to the Wellawatta canal and to the sea should not be restricted or closed off. If there is any restriction, flooding would occur.

The project was completed and the parliament went under water on two occasions. At times there was over 1M of water inside the building. As a precautionary measure, sections of the marsh was excavated and large water bodies were created. However, due to the high-water table, water retention was low, instead what is required is a spread of water or acre feet of water and not depth. The cleaning up and freeing of the natural lakes of the accumulated reed beds and other accretion was also completed. The Diyawanna Oya now had a free flow into the lakes behind the old Christian College Kotte and into the sea, all this was accomplished about seven years ago.

Last month it was noticed that a Dam was being constructed bifurcating the natural lakes. Not only will it interfere with the marshes and the rich biodiversity along the fringes. The natural free flow of the upper part of the Diyawanna Oya will be restricted. Whether proper advice and EIA’s were consulted one does not know. But the Dutch Hydraulic Engineer’s words are still afresh. If you interfere with the free flow of rain water in the marshes and along the Diyawanna Oya into the natural lakes, into the canals and into the sea. The heavy rain will inundate the little marsh that is left and the unfortunate outcome will be that the Parliament building will get flooded.