SC halts garbage dumping in Muthurajawela
The Supreme Court today issued an injunction order prohibiting the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) from disposing garbage in Muthurajawela till July 20.
A petition filed by several residents in the area seeking a court order against the disposal of garbage at the Muthurajawela site was taken up before a judge bench comprising Chief Justice Priyasad Dep and Justice Upali Abeyratne.
The petition states that waste collected from Colombo is being disposed in Muthurajawela despite the area being named an Environmental Conservation Zone and that this has resulted in several environmental and health issues surfacing.
The attorney appearing on behalf of the Municipal Commissioner of the CMC informed the court that waste disposal at the site had been halted since last evening. He also pointed out that the site in question does not belong to the Environmental Conservation Zone.
The court inquired as to why a sustainable method of waste disposal in Colombo has not been established despite it being a longstanding issue.
In response to this, the attorney stated that efforts are underway to establish suitable and scientific processes for this and that certain waste management programmes had to be scrapped due to objections from the public.
Source – 05/07/2017, Ada Derana, See more at – http://www.adaderana.lk/news/41731/sc-halts-garbage-dumping-in-muthurajawela
Two nabbed over an illegal racket of sea cucumbers and shark fins
Naval personnel attached to the North Central Naval Command have taken into custody two suspects engaged in an illegal racket of sea cucumbers and shark fins.
The operation was launched by the Navy in collaboration with Vankalai Police. The arrest was made this morning on an intelligence tip-off to the Navy.
The racketeers were apprehended while they were attempting to smuggle these stocks concealed in 20 packages in a dinghy. Among the stocks were 553 kg of shark fins and 317 kg of sea cucumbers.
The apprehended suspects, sea cucumbers, shark fins and the dinghy were handed over to the Jaffna Customs Office for further investigations.
Source – 04/07/2017, ITN , See more at – https://www.itnnews.lk/local-news/two-nabbed-over-an-illegal-racket-of-sea-cucumbers-and-shark-fins/
Wildlife officials rescue a baby elephant
Wildlife officers rescue a baby elephant that had fallen into a hole in the forest area near the Katuwewa in Hambantota. Pix By – Rahul Samantha
Source- 05/07/2017, Times Online, SEE More at – http://www.sundaytimes.lk/article/1027095/wildlife-officials-rescue-a-baby-elephant
