Discover-SriLanka: development

DISCOVER - SRI LANKA: PROLOGUE

IN PRAISE OF MY BEAUTIFUL ISLAND,

INFORMATION, PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO.

THE 13th CENTURY VENETIAN TRAVELER MARCO POLO DESCRIBED THE ISLAND AS 'THE JADE PENDANT IN THE INDIAN OCEAN'. THE ABUNDANCE OF GEMSTONES, SPICES, RAIN FORESTS AND WILDLIFE; THE MAGNIFICENT BEACHES, ANCIENT RUINS AND A WRITTEN HISTORY OF OVER 2500 YEARS MAKE THIS ISLAND A TOURISTS' PARADISE.

THE RUINED CITIES OF ANURADHAPURA AND POLONNARUWA ILLUSTRATE THE GLORY OF THE ANCIENT KINGDOMS. THE GIGANTIC STUPAS AND BUDDHA STATUES ARE AMONG THE BIGGEST MAN MADE STRUCTURES OF THE WORLD. THE MASSIVE RESERVOIRS, BUILT BY ANCIENT KINGS TO IRRIGATE THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF LAND, ARE MARVELS OF HYDRO ENGINEERING. THERE ARE EIGHT UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN SRI LANKA

THE ISLAND WAS KNOWN TO THE GREEKS AS 'TAPROBANE' AND TO THE ARABS AS 'SERENDIB'. EARLY MERCHANTS VISITED THE ISLAND IN SEARCH OF GEMSTONES AND SPICES, MAINLY CINNAMON AND PEPPER. COFFEE AND TEA PLANTATIONS WERE STARTED BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL RULERS. CEYLON TEA IS FAMOUS THE WORLD OVER.

TOURISM INDUSTRY IS A MAJOR MONEY SPINNER FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. THE VAST EXPANSE OF BEACHES, RAIN FORESTS AND NATIONAL PARKS WITH HERDS OF WILD ELEPHANTS, THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WITH LITHE WATER FALLS, BRING IN THE TOURISTS. THE ISLAND IS DOTTED WITH HUNDREDS OF HOTELS TO ACCOMMODATE THE TRAVELER. AN ISLAND OF 25,000 SQ; MILES HAS 103 RIVERS AND 25000 RESERVOIRS, MOSTLY MAN MADE. WITH VARYING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS THIS IS TRULY A 'SMALL MIRACLE'.

" THE ISLAND OF SRI LANKA IS A SMALL UNIVERSE, IT CONTAINS AS MANY VARIATIONS OF CULTURE, SCENERY AND CLIMATE AS SOME COUNTRIES A DOZEN TIMES ITS SIZE........I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANY COUNTRY WHICH SCORES SO HIGHLY IN ALL DEPARTMENTS - WHICH HAVE SO MANY ADVANTAGES AND SO FEW DISADVANTAGES. LOVELY BEACHES, BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES, IMPRESSIVE RUINS, A VIBRANT CULTURE AND CHARMING PEOPLE- NO WONDER SRI LANKA IS A SMALL MIRACLE ".***** Arthur C. Clark *****

Showing posts with label development. Show all posts

27 November, 2014

SRI LANKA - ERADICATION OF SLUMS IN COLOMBO

The capital city of Colombo has 1499 slum areas covering 900 acres or 10% of the City area and the number of families living in these unhygenic dwellings have been identified as 68,812. The Ministry Of Urban Development plans to utilize 300 acres for new housing projects, 150 acres for urban beautification and 450 acres for projects under direct foreign investment once these high value spaces are cleared.

Nearly 4000 units have been completed and given to shanty dwellers, free of charge. A 450 sq.ft. unit consists of 2 bedrooms, living room, pantry, bathroom and a balcony. The high-rises are equipped with elevators and have recreation areas, 26,000 units will be constructed under Phase 1 and Phase 2.

24 October, 2013

SRI LANKA - EXPRESSWAYS

The Colombo - Katunayake expressway will be declared open by The President on 27th October, 2013. This 24 kilometer stretch of highway, built at a cost of U. S. $ 350 million, runs through the picturesque Negombo lagoon and the Muthurajawela marsh. With a speed limit of 100 K.M.P.H. the travel time between Colombo to the Katunayake Airport will be cut down greatly.

Pics by : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSC H7

14 August, 2013

SRI LANKA - NEW COLOMBO SOUTH PORT

Phase 1 of the new Colombo south port was declared open by the President on 6th August, 2013. Funded by the Asian Development Bank, phase 2 and 3 will be completed by 2018, the total cost of the project is U.S.$ 1.1 billion, this expansion of the Colombo Port is taking place 98 years after the commissioning of the Colombo Port. The length of the breakwater is over 6 kilometers and the depth of the harbor is 18 meters to facilitate the handling of container ships carrying 18,000 to 25,000 containers.