News
Residents suffer as Water’s Edge garbage dump grows
View(s):Whilst controversy over the smelly Aruwakkalu garbage dump continues, another major garbage dump is taking shape in the heart of Kotte — the administrative capital of Sri Lanka.
Not a pretty sight: Piles of rubbish -- food waste, broken furniture, empty beer cans and fish cans. Pix by Amila Gmage
Piles of rubbish — food waste, broken furniture, empty beer cans and fish cans are in the pile that is building up at one end of the Water’s Edge.
Residents complain that the reservation area, was once used as a recreation area, but their children are unable to go near it now. Tourists who board seaplanes barely two hundred metres away get a good view of the garbage pile when they take to the air to visit spots of importance.
“We have been living in this area for more than 35 years and we have never been exposed to a serious health hazard such as this,” a Subuthipura resident said.
Another resident Anil Panagoda, who has been living in the area for 25 years, said the area a place of tranquillity and serenity for residents to enjoy their evenings, until the dumping of garbage began a month or so ago. “We were happy when the area underwent a beautification phase not so long ago, but now the area is infested with a lot of mosquitoes,” he said.
Mr Panagoda echoed the residents’ fear that the area would soon become another Meethotamulla — the garbage dump that rose sky high and collapsed, killing scores of people in April 2017.
He accused the nearby luxury hotel of contributing to the mess. “We have nothing against the Waters’ Edge, but it’s appalling to see such a well-known establishment acting irresponsibly when it comes to disposing waste,” Mr. Panagoda said.
The residents said they had tried to explain matters to the hotel management but none of the officials they spoke to had shown any concern.
The residents claimed that a hotel’s engineer had told them that the garbage was being dumped in the place as landfill for a car park the hotel wanted to build.
A senior employee of the Waters Edge Hotel said the hotel followed a clear policy on garbage and in terms of this policy, the hotel segregated its waste into wet and non-wet garbage.
“We have partnered with some farmers, to whom we transport the wet waste materials. The non-wet waste material is taken away by the Kaduwela Municipal Council,” she said.
Mr. Panagoda said, “Due to the rain these days, the garbage dump has now become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. There are are infants in some of these houses. The dump is posing a major risk to their health.” He added that at least six tractors come daily to dump garbage in this reservation area.
Dr. Hemantha Perera, an area resident, said that as a result of the garbage dump, pollutants were getting into the water sources which the people used for their daily activities.
He warned that these pollutants carried heavy metal, lead and other harmful substances.
Urban Development Authority (UDA) Chairman Jagath Munasinghe said the reason for waste being dumped on this area was due to the failure of the contracted private company to collect garbage on time.
He said that when the UDA contacted the company, it had said it was using the place as a collection point and not as a dumping ground.
Following complaints by the residents, the Battaramulla Public Health Inspector (PHI) had inspected the area and said that a warning would be served on the hotel with immediate effect.
“If the hotel continues to dump garbage in the area after the notice is served, we will take legal action,” PHI Vajira Dasanayake said.
He admitted that discarded plastic items and broken furniture in the dump had already created a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes.