Maharagama Urban Council Area Development Plan (2021 - 2030)

When preparing the future plan for a city, it is important to have a good understanding of all the aspects, such as the physical, social, economic, environmental, and cultural aspects of the city. A development plan is a legally recognized written document of the physical, economic, social, and environmental factors of an area that strategically leads towards sustainable development and how stakeholders in the area, especially its residents, should act in development activities. In terms of the powers of Section 8 'a' of the Urban Development Authority Act No. 41 of 1978 of the National State Assembly, the role of preparation of a Development Plan for an area declared as an urban development area by the minister in charge of the relevant subject as per Section 8 'a' of the Urban Development Authority (Amendment) Act No. 04 of 1982 empowers the Urban Development Authority. By the Act No. 56/6 of 01st October 1979, the Grama Niladhari Divisions of Malapalla, Kottawa North, Kottawa South, Rukmale, and Kalalgoda and the Athurugiriya Gam Sabha area in relation to the Hewagam Korale-West Palle Pattu Division in the Colombo District have been declared as Urban Development Authority areas. Subsequently, the Maharagama Urban Council was established by the Gazette Notification No. 1218/35 dated 10th January, 2002, of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and was declared as an Urban Development Area with effect 15.04.2002, and it consists of 41 Grama Niladhari Divisions. The Maharagama area was also included in the Sri Jayawardenapura Administrative Capital Area Plan prepared by the extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 335/5 of 1985 in accordance with the tendency of the City of Colombo to concentrate its administrative activities in the Battaramulla area. The “Colombo Urban City Zone” identified by the National Physical Plan was published by the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2019/11 of 2017, and a structure plan for such a zone was prepared by the Urban Development Authority. The Colombo Capital Development Plan prepared for the entire spatial structure of Western Province in 2015 was also taken into consideration. Subsequently, in the year 2019, the Urban Development Authority prepared the Capital City Development Plan - 2030, considering the Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Municipal Council area, Kaduwela Municipal Council area, Maharagama Urban Council area, and Kotikawatta-Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha area as the Planning Area. Due to the expiration of the validity period of the Development Plan prepared for the Maharagama Urban Council area for the period of 2008–2020, the requirement of the preparation of a new Development Plan has arisen.