By Chrishanthi Christopher
While a lawmaker who represents people of Meethotamulla says he has been told that Colombo’s municipal officials will look for an alternative site to dump garbage from Saturday, the head of the Colombo Municipal Council insists that waste will continue to be hauled to the foul mountain regardless of resident’s warnings to stop the dumping.
The garbage mountain at Meethotamulla has swelled to 180 feet with around three million tonnes of waste, said United National Party, lawmaker, S M Marikar, who represents people of the area.
He said that following a meeting with Minister Faizer Mustapha on Tuesday it was agreed that the CMC will find an alternative dump site from Saturday.
Despite the ultimatum issued by Meethotumulla residents, CMC Commissioner V K A Anura, said waste will be taken to Meethotamulla. “We will continue to dump there, we have no other place.’’
Meanwhile, environmental police have been asked to keep the streets clean.
A Western Province official said environmental police and local authorities have been asked to sort out the garbage issue, as advised by the president’s office, following a meeting on Friday involving the Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Local Government and Provincial Councils, Minister Faizer Mustapha, Chief Minister of the Western Province, Isura Devapriya and local authority officials. The involvement of environmental police was requested by President Maithripala Sirisena, said Western Province Chief Minister, Isura Devapriya.
The meeting follows protests by Meethotamulla and Wellampitiya residents who are determined not to allow the CMC to dump any more garbage in their area.
Also, the Colombo Archdiocese said it had been assured that the CMC will not dump garbage in Ja-Ela.
Earlier, the CMC had plans to move the Meethotamulla garbage to a site in Othekelle Ja-ela following a court order to clear the stinking Meethotamulla mountain.
But residents supported by Buddhist monks and the Catholic Church brought it to a halt.
Last week, in a joint statement by the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and Ven Kotugoda Dhammawasa Maha Thera, said President Maithripala Sirisena had assured that Colombo’s garbage will not be dumped in Ja-ela.
Media spokesperson, Fr Edmund Tilakaratne, said the the President had intervened.
The CMC disposes garbage in sites leased from private landowners.
An estimated 58 unmanaged waste dumps have been identified by environmentalists.
The Megapolis Ministry said there are plans to move the garbage from Colombo to a lime stone excavation site in Arawakaru, Puttalam.
Additional Secretary, Madhava Waidyaratne, said there are plans to convert dump sites at Meethotamulla and Bloemendhal Street into urban gardens or parks.
Source – 12/03/2017, The Sunday Times, See more at – http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170312/news/cmc-insists-on-meethotamulla-dumping-but-lawmaker-told-of-alternative-232523.html
