They paved paradise, to put up a parking lot

This line, from the hit “Big Yellow Taxi”, initially sung by Joni Mitchell and later covered and made famous by The Counting Crows, refers to what the artiste saw out of her hotel room window; beautiful natural greenery, being destroyed and ‘eaten up’ by the concrete jungle. But now, this catastrophe has reached our own backyard. We refer to the ‘destruction’ of the Galle Face Green.

            The Galle Face Green is a 12 acre open park, facing the Indian Ocean, stretching for about 500 m along the coastline, in the heart of Colombo, which is the financial and business capital of Sri Lanka. Initially used for Horse Racing and Golf, as well as for Cricket, Polo, Football, Tennis and Rugby, the promenade was laid out in 1859 by the then Governor of British Ceylon, Sir Henry George Ward, along the Oceanside of the Galle Face Green, for ladies and children to saunter and ‘take in the air’.

The original Galle Face Green covered a much larger area than it is today, extending up to the Beira Lake, including the area now occupied by the Taj Samudra Hotel. Currently the largest open space in Colombo, it is bordered by the Galle Face Hotel on the one side and the Ceylon Continental on the other, and is a very popular destination for families (including children), lovers, kite flyers, and a range of people (both young and old), who want to spend some time and relax next to the sea under an open sky, as well as a variety of vendors, offering an array of food, toys and other miscellaneous fare, to satisfy the requirements and cravings of all visitors.

Many are attracted to the Galle Face Green, to spend some time in the open air, while enjoying the fresh sea breeze and savouring the spectacular scenery, which includes an uninterrupted view across the ocean as far as the eye can see, all the way up to the horizon. The problem we’re facing, which the FOT Magazine is attempting to highlight is that this spectacular view and serene, natural beauty is being interrupted and destroyed by the construction of the Colombo Port City.

Aside from any damage caused to the sea bed by the dredging and any other environmental hazards resulting from the construction, we want to raise awareness on the loss of the scenic beauty of nature and the obstruction of a breathtaking and uninterrupted view of the sea, which is a major attraction for both locals and foreigners, young and old, to come to the Galle Face Green and enjoy.

We understand and appreciate the fact that the Colombo Port City may be a major attraction for foreigners (both as investors and tourists), bringing in much needed foreign exchange to the country. But as a publication focused on the “Future of Tourism”, our plea and call goes out to the ‘powers that be’; key policy makers and decision makers, to take this (the scenic beauty of the Galle Face Green, which is an attraction to both locals and foreigners), in to consideration when planning new development projects in and around the vicinity.

Got something to say about this? Get in touch. We’re at info@fot.lk.