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Colombo garbage mountain dumped on the desks of leaders
Last week the Colombo Magistrate Court ruled that the Colombo Municipal Council must clear the Meethotamulla garbage mountain soon
The Colombo Municipal Council said it has abandoned seeking solutions to Colombo’s growing garbage problem and has declared it a national issue.
Commissioner, V K A Anura said that it has handed over the problem to President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as it is unable to find landfills.
This follows the Colombo Magistrate Court ruling last week that the council must clear the Meethotamulla garbage mountain soon. The case was filed by the police after residents blocked more waste dumping.
Commissioner Anura said residents were also opposed to dumping garbage in a Ja-ela site.
Meanwhile, United National Party lawmaker, S. M. Marikar said the Kolonnawa residents will not allow garbage dumping from next month.
Last Monday, the case was heard by Colombo Additional Magistrate Nirosha Fernando, who instructed the council to speed up the programme to clear the site and transport the garbage to Puttalam via train and turn waste into energy.
However, Colombo Megapolis and Western development Secretary, Nihal Rupasinghe said that commissioning a plant at Meethotamulla will not be viable as the garbage should continue to flow in.
The plan to transport garbage to Puttalam is also on hold as they await the environmental impact assessment report of the planned new site. The earlier site close to Wilpattu national park was abandoned due to opposition from the Wild Life Department.
Rupasinghe said the Megapolis Ministry has plans for the Meethotamulla dumping yard. “We have plans to turn it into a area with a beautiful landscape,’’ he said. “We have asked the CMC to hand over the site to the Urban Development Authority.’’
Meanwhile, it is learnt proposals have been invited from local and international agencies to turn the waste into electricity.
Marikar said there are 800 families in Meethotamulla who are suffering. “They fall sick often and even schools have to be closed because of the stench and dirt coming into their homes.’’
Every day 850 tonnes of garbage is brought to Meethotamulla.
Marikar said he had several fruitless meetings with the President, Prime Minister and discussions at cabinet meetings.
He alleged that the council was inactive and the authorities are not taking steps to address the matter. “Don’t bring the garbage here, take it somewhere,’’ he insisted.
The council is facing strong objections in Ja-ela. UNP lawmaker Kavinda Jayawardena said the council should find a permanent solution. “This is incompetency,’’ he charged.
The council had not followed procedures in selecting the land at Ekala. “No tender procedures or legal framework were followed,’’ he said.
An advertisement called for 30 acres within a 20-25 kilometre radius of Colombo. “They pay over Rs 20 million a month. It is a low lying land and not worth it. Even a small rain floods the entire area. It is not suitable for dumping,’’ he said.
He rejected the council’s claim of a court order permitting them to dump garbage. “There is no court order to dump here, they are just misleading the people.’’
The suggested recycling plant at the Ekala dumping yard will not happen. “Cannot work on promises,’’ he said.
Moreover moving garbage by road could cause traffic congestion and there will be spills. “Our people will take to the streets to protest,’’ he said.
The clergy is also supporting the people. Father Priya Jayamanne, parish priest of the church Our Lady of Sorrows, Ekala, said he will take the council to court. “We will move for an injunction and fight legally,’’ he said.
Central Environment Authority, Deputy Director General, Upali Indraratne, said it was important that the council find a alternative site to dump Colombo’s garbage. “CMC must find a sustainable land to fill,’’ he said.
He said the waste at Meethotamulla, where there is 3 million metric tonnes of garbage, should be recycled. “Commissioning a waste energy project in Muthurajawela will be a solution,’’ he said.
Also he said more sanitary landfills are needed. “We have only one at Dompe,’’ he said.
The government has also completed a site in Batticaloa and has plans for another four in Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Galle. He said designs have been completed and tenders will be called in March. The project is to be completed in 2019.
