Colombo Port City in Sri Lanka will be a modern city district for about 40,000 residents and an equal number of job opportunities. The city district, which will be located on filled-in land between the old city center and the new industrial port, features residences, schools, offices, hotels, and commercial space.
The Port City
The Port City was claimed to be a concept of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was apparently inspired while inspecting the landfill being constructed for the Colombo South Port. The modern Port City was in fact an unsolicited proposal submitted by China Harbour Engineering Company based on previous proposals.
The construction was set to begin in March 2011 but due to several circumstances, the project was stopped. In mid-2012, the Sri Lankan Port Authority, better known as SLPA, announced that the construction of the then Colombo Port City project would commence on 17 September 2014. The budget is estimated to be US$15 billion.
The reclamation was to be carried out by China Harbor Engineering Corporation, which has been engaged by the investor. 125 ha (310 acres) was the land that was given to the government as well as 88 ha (220 acres) while owned by the government was planned to be leased for 99 years to the Chinese company. 20 ha (49 acres) was planned to be given freehold to the Chinese company.
Construction of the Colombo Port City project was launched on 17 September 2014 by Sri-Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The port city has been criticized for several reasons. Many environmentalists claim that the port city contains many environmental hazards and the adverse environmental impacts the project will cause would be far more than the economic benefits it may have to offer. Maritime sector veterans also pointed out the dangers Sri Lanka may face due to giving outright ownership of land to China especially in a high-security zone and concerns about its effects on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty have also been expressed. The project was also criticized for its lack of transparency and irregularities such as the involvement of SLPA which is implementing the reclamation project, had no mandate to do so as its mandate is to deal with ports and shipping
FAQ
port city (plural port cities) A city built around a port, for its defence, to provide infrastructural support, or as parasitic urban sprawl.
Of course. Apart from the many thousands of jobs that will be generated, the general public can enjoy a 3 km long artificial beach, water sports and 45 ha of parks, which will be around 9 times larger than Galle Face Green and all other public spaces incorporated into the master plan
Approximately 65 million cubic meters
China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd
CHEC Port City Colombo (Private) Limited (the Project Company) is a BOI-approved Company specifically set up for the purpose of making a foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Colombo Port City Project. It is a 100% owned subsidiary of China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC).
references : www.portcitycolombo.lk , Port City Colombo – Wikipedia