The more frequent contacts that you require in respect of the public services may be related to: Traffic

Traffic arrangements and parking Obtaining planning approval to construct or modify a building Road maintenance and maintenance of parks and public places Waste collection and disposal Water supply Street lighting sewerage and rainwater drainage

For resolving any problem or any assistance regarding these services, please contact the Head of Division responsible for the service in question. These are set out in the following pages. Some of the more common inquiries and complaints we receive tend to be in respect of: Pot Hole in the Roads Rainwater Stagnation Nauseating Odours Overflowing Septic Tanks Blocked Sewers or Drains Dumping of Waste Non Functional Street Lights Approval of Building Plans Sathutu Uyana Failure to Collect Garbage Failure of Water Supply Unauthorized Structures Subdivision of Lands

For any of the said problems, you should contact the Officer in your District (see page 3). However, if there is no timely response, please contact the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Engineering Services), directly on any of the above telephone numbers. The Recreational Park Sathutu Uyana also comes under the purview of this department.

Traffic Design & Road Safety Division

This division was set up to develop the traffic management of citys road network to ensure a smooth and safe vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The Division also provides consultancy services to all physical development related activities in the Council. It is also engaged in providing detailed architectural and structural designs for buildings, design of roads and intersections and cost estimates, to other Departments of the Council. It is also responsible for road markings, installation of traffic signs and traffic signals and maintenance; implementation of traffic management schemes and management of parking facilities. Should you have traffic-related problems or new proposals, comments and ideas to develop city Road and traffic infrastructure, please contact the Director Engineering (TD&RS) directly.

Projects Division
This division co-ordinates and manages all construction work for the Council let under contracts. The work includes contract administration and supervision of Construction Projects. Management and construction of pre-selected Council projects under direct labour basis is also a part of the responsibilities of the division. This division also coordinates all projects proposed under allocations of Municipal Councillors and projects referred to C.M.C by the Western Provincial Council and Members of Parliament under Decentralized Budget. Should you have any inquires about these works, you should, in the first instance contact the Director of this Division, Director Engineering (Projects).

City Planning Division

The construction or modification of any building in the City is subject to issue of a building permit obtained from this Division which deals with all aspects of building and land controls. This Division is responsible for approving all buildings, condominium plans and sub-division proposals. Certificates of conformity are issued only on satisfactory completion of the building work. Also responsible for issuing of Street/Building Gas Certificates and Machinery Permits. In respect of unauthorized structures or violation of planning and building regulations, this Division will initiate legal action against offenders. It also controls advertisement boards in the city. Public interviews are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. A guide book explaining the procedure in obtaining planning permission along with building approvals is available at the City Planning Division

Water Supply Division

The distribution of pipe-borne water supplied from the head works of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, is the responsibility of this Division. Requests for new connections should be addressed to this Division which also deals with breakdowns in supply, inadequate supply and special arrangements for bowser supply. Please notify us in case of leakages of the distribution pipes by contacting the Engineer at Head Office, Maligakanda.

Drainage Division
This Division manages the entire drainage system, including the sewer network and sewer pumping stations in the city. Septic tanks are emptied free of charge. All drainage construction works, including construction of septic tanks, in the city should have the prior approval of this division before commencement of work. All applications for sewer connections, construction of sewers on private roads and clearance of nondomestic major blockages should be addressed to the engineer at the Head Office, Maligakanda.Requests for clearing of household blockages should be directed to your respective District Office.

The Division also maintains the rainwater drainage system in the City. The system includes open drains, underground drains and outfalls. However the main canals in the City are owned and maintained by the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation and inquiries and complaints about canals should be addressed to:

Works Division
The Works Division is responsible for the maintenance of all Public Roads and Municipal Buildings in the City. Maintenance of Recreational Parks such as Viharamahadevi Park, tree cutting also falls within the purview of this Division. Maintenance and rehabilitation of major roads in the city are the responsibility of the Central Road Maintenance Unit, based in the Town Hall. The Unit is also responsible for approving all applications for excavations of roads necessary for the maintenance and development of the citys service infrastructure such as underground water pipes and electrical and telephone cables. Maintenance of all roads and issuing of road excavation permits are the responsibility of District Engineers. Please address all initial inquiries to the District Engineer of your area. (Telephone Nos. of District Engineers are given in page 03.)

Lands and Environmental Development Division

This Division is the custodian of Council lands and handles acquisition of lands, payment of compensation and leasing. In respect of your building plans contact this division for demarcation of street lines, building lines, arcade lines, fire gap lines. Please get ascertained the street lines before purchase of any land. Never build without demarcating the street line

Solid Waste Management

The city generates over 600 tons of garbage daily and this Division carries out its collection, transportation and disposal. This division which is also responsible for planning new waste collection methods, seeks public assistance to get rid of roadside collection points. Special collection of non-hazardous materials can be arranged for a nominal fee. Please contact the Engineer in your District. The Management Unit is based in the Town Hall and the operations are carried out through the District Offices Collection & Transportation of Garbage in districts 1, 2A and 5 is handled by private operators. Other districts are handled direct labour. Council has signed an agreement with a private sector to construct, operate & maintain a compost plant with an associated land fill site for a period of 25 years. The plant will be ready for operation in September 2002. Pilots projects have been started on recycling & home composting to reduce the amount of garbage generated in the city. Any problems in respect of this service, such as failure to collect garbage from residential premises, should be addressed to the Director (Engineering) at the Town Hall.

Fire Services
The Colombo Fire Service Department (FSD) has five Main Functions: Prevent Fires Fight Fires & Conduct Fire Rescue operations Protect the Environment by taking action at Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Incidents. Conduct Non-Fire rescues such as Road Traffic Accidents Humanitarian Services to Community. The FSD responds to a wide range of incidents and responds with other agencies to emergencies caused by natural or manmade disasters. Members of the Fire Safety Section provide expert advice in the development and implementation of Building Regulations. The Brigade plays a continuing and active role in educating and training all sections of the community on commerce and industry. The Training Section operates on a Commercial Basis to teach Fire Safety & Practical Fighting Skills to Government and Commercial Establishments. Fire Service intends to work in Partnership with Insurance Companies and other stake holders in reducing the Fire Risk throughout the city and suburbs.

Working in the Community Our role is to reduce the frequency and severity of emergency incidents through Prevention: Public Education & Legislated Standards and Suppression: The Rapid and Efficient Control of Incidents attended by the Brigade We maintain a constant state of readiness, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Our guarantee of service to the community is that 90% of occasions we will respond within 7 minutes from the time of call in the Colombo City Area.

What are the requirements of the City Planning Division

The inspection by the City Planning Division is primarily concerned with the city zoning requirements and the structural integrity of your trade building and premises. The requirements of the City Planning division are provided in Table 8 below.

1. Conformity to Zoning plan The Division checks whether your trade is allowed in the Zone in which it is located. 2. Approved Building plan An approved building plan must be available for your trade building. In case any structural changes have been made post obtaining the building plan approval, a new building approval application should be submitted along with an undertaking to obtain the approval prior to the next renewal of Trade License 3. Certificate of Conformity The Division checks if a valid Certificate of Conformity has been obtained for your trade premises/ building. In absence of a CoC, an undertaking would need to be provided that the CoC would be obtained prior to the next renewal of trade license 4. Certificate of Change of Use In case the existing usage of the trade premises/ building is different from the usage for which the CoC has been obtained, a Certificate of Change of Use must be obtained e.g. this should be obtained in cases where a

residential premises is being used for commercial premises such as running a guest house or where the nature trade activity has changed

5. Machinery Permit Trades which require a machinery permit (defined in Table 1) should have a valid permit at the time of inspection 6. Noise Level Report Trades which require a noise level report (same as the trades which require a machinery permit as defined in Table 1) should have a report to substantiate that noise levels are within prescribed limits 7. Rear Space Check for adequacy of space at the rear of the trade premises 8. Light and ventilation requirement Check for adequacy of light and ventilation within the premises and the need for artificial light and ventilation 9. Parking requirement Check for adequacy of parking space

What are the requirements of the Fire Services Department

The inspection by the Fire Services Department is primarily concerned with the fire readiness of your premises. This relates to the structure of the building and fire prevention systems in place. 1. Non-Riser building Any building that does not exceed 18 meters in height. 2. Medium-Riser building Any building that exceeds 18 meters in height but does not exceed 30 meters in height. 3. High-Riser building Any building with more than 10 floors including the ground floor or whose height at any part of it above the ground level exceeds 30 meters excluding a lift or motor room not exceeding 56 square meters in extent or a staircase room not exceeding a height of 3 meters and not exceeding 25 square meters in extent or a water tank not exceeding a height of 1.5 meters. 4. Hose Reel A metal reel permanently connected to the water supply on which is wound rubber tubing having a diameter of 19 mm or 25 mm with a length of 30m. 5. Wet Riser System A water main permanently charged with water installed in the building or within the site of the building to provide a water supply for branch mains to hydrants on various stories.

6. Fire Suppression System Fire fighting system like sprinklers, Wet and dry chemical agents, gaseous agents for controlling fires

7. Fire Fighting Shaft A fire fighting shaft provides a quick, safe and protected access route for fire fighters when fighting fires and may also serve as a means of escape for the occupants of the building. The fire fighting shaft consists of a protected enclosure containing a fire fighting stairway and a fire fighting lift. 9. Protected Stairway A staircase which has its walls, ceilings and floors constructed of non-combustible materials and having the required fire resistance. The doors to such staircases should have a minimum half hour fire resistance, shall be self closing, and should open in the direction of escape. 10. Occupancy Load The occupant load of a building or part thereof means the total number of persons that may occupy such building or part thereof at any one time. 11. Automatic Flooding System Fire fighting system using agents like inert gases to control fire 12. ICTAD Institute for Construction Training and Development

Building Risk Category Building risk Non-riser building : Floor area up to 800 sq. m.

Light Hazard 1. First Aid Fire extinguisher for every 210 m one point. 2. Exit signs 3. Single protected stairway (depending on the occupancy load)

Ordinary Hazard 1. Fire extinguisher for every 210 m one point. 2. Exit/Fire exit signs Single protected stairway (depending on the occupancy load) Compartments according to I.C.T.A.D. regulation

1.

High Hazard Fire extinguisher for every 210 m one point. First aid hose reel every 800m Exit/Fire exit signs Single protected stairway (depending on the occupancy load) Compartments according to I.C.T.A.D. regulation

2.

3.

3.

4.

4.

5.

Building risk Non-riser building : Floor area exceeding 800 sq. m.

1. First aid Fire extinguisher for every 210 m one point. 2. First aid hose reel

1.

First aid Fire extinguisher for every 210 m one point. First aid hose reel

1.

First aid Fire extinguisher for every 210 m one point. First aid hose reel

2.

2.

every 800m 3. Exit/Fire exit signs 4. Alternative means of escape (depending on the occupancy load) 5. Manual Fire alarm 3.

every 800m Exit/Fire exit signs Manual fire alarm Alternative means of escape (depending on the occupancy load) Compartments according to I.C.T.A.D. regulation 3. 4. 4. 5.

every 800m Fire hydrant Automatic alarm and sprinkler system Exit/Fire exit signs Automatic flooding system Alternative means of escape (depending on the occupancy load) Compartments according to I.C.T.A.D. regulation First aid Fire extinguisher for every 210 m one point. First aid hose reel every 800m Fire hydrant Automatic alarm and sprinkler system Exit/Fire exit signs Automatic flooding system Alternative means of escape (depending on the occupancy load) Compartments according to I.C.T.A.D.

5.

6. 6.

7.

8.

Building risk Medium riser building:

1.

First aid Fire extinguisher for every 210 m one point. First aid hose reel every 800m Wet riser system every 900 m Manual and auto fire alarm system Exit/Fire exit signs Alternative means of escape (depending on the occupancy load

1.

First aid Fire extinguisher for every 210 m one point. First aid hose reel every 800m Wet riser system every 900 m Manual and auto fire alarm system Exit/Fire exit signs Alternative means of escape (depending on the occupancy load) Compartments according to I.C.T.A.D.

1.

2.

2.

2.

3.

3.

3. 4.

4.

4.

5.

5.

5.

6.

6.

6.

7.

7.

8.