Environmental related disputes of expressway construction projects in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The generous purpose of constructing and developing the expressways of the Sri Lankan government to facilitate the general public through transportation. The time can be saved by avoiding the highly traffic congested roads and utilizing the expressways. But while implementation of such mega scale projects there is a high possibility to take place the disputes between internal parties or with the external parties. A country like Sri Lanka which is fully blessed with extraordinary environmental values can be affected by expressways construction projects. This study was carried out with the aim of identifying significant environmental related disputes of expressways construction projects in Sri Lanka. The main objectives of the research is to identify the types and causes of the environmental disputes, economic and social impact of them together with identification of the mitigation measures. The objectives are accomplished by the quantitative research approach and data were collected by a questionnaire survey with the aid of a Google form. Findings revealed that the nature of mostly affected in Sri Lankan expressway projects were excessive noise and vibration, bad air quality and disturbance to the drainage and water environments. Significant types of environmental disputes like disturbance to the neighborhood by activities generate too much noise and vibration, health issues affected to the locals and neighborhoods by polluted air and problems raised by the cultivators and farmers. The major causes for the environmental related disputes have been found in the survey as, changing ground conditions, lack of feasibility studies, lack of planning in brownfield sites and poor waste and disposal management system. Identified the impact of environmental related disputes to the economic and social aspects of expressways projects in Sri Lankan context by additional cost, delays to the project and local environment, communities, biodiversity respectively. Recognized the mitigation measures that can be taken to manage the identified environmental disputes like insertion of the necessary provisions to the contracts and have the legislative support.