Caterer filling state land, claim residents

By Malik Gunatilleke

The caterer’s refuse filling the wrong place

A plot of land belonging to the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (LRDC) in Nawala is being filled with garbage and earth causing a health hazard to the residents.

Neighbours surrounding the site told The Sunday Times that the owner of a popular catering company was responsible for dumping his refuse on the state owned marshy land adjoining his property. The LRC and Police have been informed of the filling, but action against filling is yet to be taken.

“We have informed the Land Reclamation Corporation but they still haven’t done anything despite several phone calls and letters,” a resident said.However LDRC General Manager G. Alawattegama said he had visited the site three weeks ago.

“We wrote to the owner to clean the area within one month and if not we will use our own resources and clean it while taking legal action against the owner,” he said. Mr. Alawattegama admitted that the complaints started coming in years ago.

“We couldn’t take any action because the law was not strong enough, but now since we have a stronger legal backing we can take firmer action against such offenders,” he said. The catering company owner Lakshman Perera said he was warned by the authorities a few weeks back and had immediately halted the dumping of refuse on the land. However, witnesses stated that the land is still being filled during the night.