A special program to ensure the safety of residents of all flats that exceed 40 years...

A special program to ensure the safety of residents of all flats that exceed 40 years...

A special program to ensure the safety of residents of all flats that exceed 40 years...

Plans to get a formal technical report conducted by the National Building Research Organization or other government agency...

Housing complexes that are confirmed to be unsafe will be redeveloped under public-private partnership...

Urban Development and Housing Minister Mr. Prasanna Ranatunga advises the authorities to immediately start a special program to ensure the safety of the residents of all flats that exceed 40 years. Accordingly, the minister has also instructed the relevant departments to obtain a technical report regarding the standard of the flats from a government-recognised institution.

Accordingly, it is expected that the National Building Research Organization or another government agency will conduct a research and obtain a formal technical report regarding such buildings, says the Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing Mr. W.S.Sathyananda. The housing complexes are expected to be redeveloped or repaired as per the recommendations of the technical report.

According to the Minister of Housing, if it is confirmed that it is unsafe, he can acquire the property in accordance with the powers assigned to the Housing Minister under Section 10 of the Condominium Management Authority Act No. 24 of 2003, the Ministry Secretary added.

The Condominium Management Authority has informed the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing about 8 housing complexes identified as unsafe.

The relevant report states that 869 houses and 619 shops in the housing schemes of Wakanda housing scheme, Bambalapitiya housing scheme, Wales Kumara Mawatha housing scheme, Siridhamma Mawatha housing scheme, Kandepura housing scheme, several buildings of Maligawatta housing scheme, Mihindu Mawatha housing scheme are unsafe.

The Wakanda housing scheme consisting of four buildings was built in 1981 by the National Housing Development Authority. It consists of 114 housing units. Considering the existing danger situation, the residents of those houses have been given houses from Henamulla flats, but about 65 families who did not agree to that are still living in that housing system. The focus is on redeveloping the housing system under public and private partnership to evacuate those 65 families immediately.

It has already been planned to obtain a similar technical report for several buildings in Bambalapitiya Housing System, Wales Kumara Mawatha Housing System, Siridhamma Mawatha Housing System, Kandepura Apartment System, Mihindupura Housing System and Maligawatta Housing System.

Generally, after a housing complex is built and handed over to the residents, they are properly maintained and run by a legal structure consisting of the respective residents called the management corporation. Failure of the management corporation to properly maintain the common facilities of the apartment complex has left the apartment complex in a dilapidated condition