BALANCING ACT

As anti-government protests spiral out of control, Sri Lanka seeks Indian investment in the Colombo Port City built by China

- LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN/Colombo

HUGE CRANES AND dredges roll up and down the south end of Colombo's business district, disturbing the tranquillity of the serene oceanfront. The road leading to the construction site is closed with huge sheets of steel, although a signboard says “Welcome to Port City Colombo”. Sri Lanka’s upcoming shiny metropolis, located right across the president’s secretariat on Galle road, is being built to international standards, modelled on the financial centres in Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong.

A vast expanse of sand reclaimed from the sea is being transformed into a modern metropolis, extending Colombo’s business district. “The Port City is envisioned to position Sri Lanka as a multi-services hub supported by an investor-friendly framework of law,” said Saliya Wickramasuriya, acting director-general and member of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission.

Conceived during the second term of president Mahinda Rajapaksa, the project was put on hold during the Maithiripala Sirisena regime. A total of 269 hectares have been reclaimed for the project by the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). Of this, 179 hectares are earmarked for city development, while the total built up area will be 6.3 million square metres.