Colombo's floating market goes from picturesque to degraded in just 10 years
The Pettah market is in a state of neglect. Opened in 2014 with 70 shops, the tourist spot now has dilapidated stalls, sunken boats, a flood of garbage in Beira Lake, and marginalised people. "We are disappointed,” tourists told AsiaNews. Former retailers lament the authorities' negligence.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Although Colombo's Pettah Floating Market appears picturesque from afar, up close it now offers a completely different picture, discouraging visitors: a neglected structure, and nauseating stench rising from the lake's waters, filled with rubbish and algae.
Some stalls have collapsed into the lake, while boats remain partially sunken, and water monitors can be seen swimming in the stagnant waters.
The authorities had promised to restore the floating market, which opened in 2014 with 70 shops. They did so once in 2021, but it is currently abandoned and in a state of disrepair.
The stalls and shops along Beira Lake remain in a dilapidated state. Rubbish bags, abandoned water bottles, and cans pollute the water, and the unbearable stench drives away both locals and foreign tourists.
The place has become a refuge for beggars and drug addicts, day and night. Although the headquarters of the mounted police and traffic police are located 100 metres away, the area poses a threat to visitors and owners.
Bulgarian tourists Stanislav and Maria Nozharova, as well as Polish tourists Tadeusz and Jovita Zapasiewicz, came to the market to buy souvenirs.
“We visited the market in 2015,” they told AsiaNews. “Back then, it was a picturesque place, and after buying some gifts to take home, we enjoyed a fresh fruit juice while admiring the view, including the trains crossing the lake. Today, however, it's smelly, ugly, and in no condition to be visited. That's why we don't want to stay even for a few minutes. We're disappointed”.
Sri Lankan visitors Kanthi Liyanage and Nimal Searasinghe, from the city of Galle, expressed similar sentiments.
“Poor management and negligence, including sabotage by state officials, have left the famous market in a dire state,” lamented Priyantha Dewage and Samantha Adihetty, former floating market shop owners, who now sell goods near the bus stop next to the market.
“Business is slow due to the market's condition. In the past, the market housed restaurants, bakeries, ornament shops, and clothing stores, but most are idle now,” they said. “Although politicians visit the market during the pre-election period and promise to renovate it and bring it back to its former glory, after the elections they completely forget about it
“Many months have passed without any sign of renovation,” they noted. “In 2014, it was an attraction and one of the most visited places by tourists thanks to the joint efforts of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the engineering units of the Sri Lanka Army."
“We pay Rs 10,000 a month to the UDA, yet the latter fails to maintain the shops and the wooden structures set up for beautification and aesthetic purposes,” said shop owners Janani Vithanage and Lal de Silva.
The UDA, the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC) and the Colombo Municipal Council are jointly responsible for the upkeep of the lake, the surrounding area and the sewage systems.
“Three security guards are available, but only one is present at a time, and even he sleeps at night, allowing illegal activities to take place," they said. “Beira Lake must be thoroughly cleaned, removing every single piece of garbage and every residue of sewage sludge.”
“We clean the area every day, and the next day we see a larger amount of waste. We have also pointed out to the UDA that we are unable to get tractors and excavators to remove the garbage due to issues of access to the area,’’ an SLLDC official said. Machinery and heavy equipment cannot reach the area due to the steps.
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06/11/2020 17:44
30/05/2016 12:22
