Letters to the Editor
View(s):The Southern railway: Why change the original plan?
The recent extension of the railway from Matara to Beliatta is cause for immense happiness specially for the people of the Giruva Pattu for having been witness to the success of a plan that has been hanging fire for almost a century. The presence of the island’s longest railway tunnel, the longest railway bridge and the longest railway platform certainly adds much glamour to the scenario, and one has to be thankful to all personnel concerned for the success of the total project.
However, the plan drawn by the British engineers of the early decades of last century shows a slight but significant difference: It makes the railway line (which had so far run along the coast to Matara) to turn into the interior and run overland to Beliatta and return to the coast at Tangalla and proceed to Hambantota, particularly to facilitate the transportation of salt from the large and small salterns.
Of these two locations which, during these times, appeared good enough to be referred to as ‘towns’, Tangalla was the larger, and was better served with urban facilities than Hambantota.
It possessed even an English medium educational institution that coached students for the Junior and Senior School Certificate Examinations. It also marked the very southern reach of the ancient Dry Zone (Anuradhapura) civilization (with two saplings of the Sacred Bodhi Tree planted at two Viharas here over two thousand years ago). A century ago the ‘Village in the Jungle’ literally immortalised by Leonard Woolf, commenced at the eastern town-limit of Tangalla.
These and such other considerations inspired the far-seeing British planners of almost a century ago to locate a railway station at this township, finding its contemporary possessions and its neighbourhood satisfactory enough.
Decades passed by, and so did the twentieth century when the need to extend this railway east-wards from Matara was suddenly found highly desirable.
In the meanwhile Tangalla has grown as a modern urban unit, and more–as a tourist centre. Within 500 metres of the western town limit two first class international hotels have come to be located taking advantage of the bay-and-promontory coastal landscape of the region, with the surroundings dotted with numerous small-scale tourist facilities. And, it has been made aware that a plan aimed the promotion of ‘tourism in the region is ready to be implemented quite soon.
But….where is the railway? The railway that a hundred years ago was regarded as a simple and convenient means of transporting people and goods from one place to another, but admittedly during the present times as a vital agent that contributes to the maintenance and promotion of tourism is erased from the modern plan. It is made to run on an inland course to Kataragama without reaching Tangalla at a time when that little town needs it more than ever before!
Luckily, there is yet time for a change if the authorities think it possible and more fruitful and advantageous to do so!
V. Vitharana Mount Lavinia
The towers are gone; thank you to all
I would like to inform the Sunday Times readership that the telecommunication towers (letter published on the issue in the Letters to the Editor page on June 30) have been removed from Anniewatte, a residential area in Kandy. We, the Anniewatte residents are greatly appreciative of the trouble, the Mayor of Kandy Kesara Senanayake took over this issue, keeping us the residents updated as to the progress on this score.
I was also impressed and encouraged to realise that residents of an area could collectively act, when faced with a threat; depend also on those in control, to be committed enough to the cause, to oppose the ‘might of corporate giants’, unflinchingly and secure the residents’ needs.
To the Sunday Times by permitting us to air our grievance, the many who helped to resolve this issue, we offer our heartfelt thanks. A harbinger that there is a future for this country?
Dr Channa Ratnatunga Kandy