around 2nd July 2008, about 400 families living on one side of the railway in Colombo 13 and 14th were served with Quit notices issued by the general manager, Department of railways under the state lands(Recovery of Possession)Act requiring them to hand over vacant possession of their houses to the Department of Railways by 4th August 2008 giving them less than one month to comply.The railway line which runs from the port to the Kolonnawa oil Reserve through Bluemendhall , Grandpass,Orugodawatta, Sapugaskanda,and Wellampitiya is not being used at present. there are houses on either side of the said rail track and approximately 2000 families living along this railway line.
the people refused to leave from there so the people protested.
